Beat Up By A Girl
by Christine1827
Summary: When you mix old friendships, rivalry, girls, step siblings, hard-headed people, bullying, fighting, arguring, romance, high school, and stupid dudes, things wont always be happy. Rated T for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Gabriella's mom and Chad's dad get married, making them step-siblings. Gabriella has to leave her school and friends and move to Chad's school, East High. Troy Bolton, a.ka. Chad's rival, makes a wrong move and finds out how Gabriella Montez-Danforth doesn't take any crap. Chad's girlfriend, Taylor McKessie, warns Gabriella about Troy, but (of course) Gabriella has to be herself and stand up for everyone. Things might get a little messy.

**Chapter 1—Figure this**

"Shut off the damn light!" A grumpy Gabriella groaned as she hid her head under her pillow.

"Nu-Uh. We have to get to school." Chad, her newly acquired step-brother shouted from her door way with his hand beside the light switch.

"I don't wanna!" She protested.

Chad chuckled before doing the one thing that annoyed her the most. He flicked the light switch on and off repeatedly. "Ready to get up yet?" Chad smirked.

"You're not even my real bother, no offense, and you are still so annoying!" She complained as she hopped out of the warmth of her bed.

"I think I am liking my new job as "big brother." He teased.

"You are only three weeks older as I am! Besides, I can be one hell of an annoying little sister." Gabriella said as she pressed her side against her bedroom door, pushing Chad into the hallway. Once she slammed the door all the way shut, she changed into an outfit.

She picked out a pair of dark blue jeans, a red V-neck top, and let her ebony-colored hair fall in effortless curls down her back and shoulders. Only applying a small amount of makeup on her chocolate brown eyes, she was finished.

Picking up her bag from her oak dresser, she headed out the door. Chad meet her right once she opened the door.

"Are you wearing that to school?" Chad asked, giving her a look-over.

"Yeah. Why?" Gabriella replied, confused.

"Either put on an undershirt or change tops. There are many pervs at East High, especially Troy." Chad grumbled the last part with hatred.

Gabriella slammed the door shut and stalked to her closet and put an under shirt on beneath her red top. She opened the door again and Chad nodded approvingly.

As they walked to Gabriella's car she spoke up. "So what is your deal with this Troy kid? You said his name coldly." Gabriella wondered.

"Don't mention him. Just stay away from him and don't get on his bad side like I have. OK?" Chad demanded.

"Sure mister pissy pants!" Gabriella laughed as she slipped into the driver's seat.

Chad grumbled something before talking. "So how did you get a car like this?" Chad questioned, motioning to the deep red convertible.

"My mom got it for me last year for my 16th birthday. She said I deserved it for winning the scholastic decathlon." Gabriella replied shrugging.

"Oh Cool." Chad answered before pointing the way towards East High.

--

"Holy shit!" Some random girl exclaimed while running down the hallway, "Troy is whipping Chad's ass!"

Gabriella's head swung around when she heard this. Everyone was on his or her way to lunch but now people were rushing towards the fight. Her first day was not bad. She had been standing by her locker with her new friends Kelsi Neilson, a shy pianist and composer but she was really fun once you got to know her, and Chad's girlfriend, who was a really pretty African American girl and was really fun to be around. The trio of girls raced to follow the crowd.

When they reached the crowd of cheering teens they were flabbergasted at the scene. Who she assumed was Troy (It was the teenage dude that she recognized from looking at her up and down when she entered the school that morning.) had pinned Chad against the lockers and was throwing punches at Chad's stomach. The teen had shaggy sandy brown hair and looked to be very built, but challenges are always good for Gabriella.

This was her new brother, and she was not about to let some guy whoop his ass. She marched through the crowd until she was about three feet away from the teens. "Hey!" She screamed. Troy didn't even react but Chad turned to look at her.

"Get… Away… Gabriella…" Chad chocked out. His new sister was not going to get hurt, not on his watch.

"Why aren't there any freaking teachers around?" She thought to herself before glancing around to see teachers against the walls. Looks as if this Troy kid at the school on a string. The teachers looked petrified. They were scared to intervene. This kid had done this many times before.

She had been in many fights herself, but not for this reason. She had a zero tolerance for bullies and she was known at her other school for getting in the way of them. IN a split second she made up her mind.

She charged over to the two male teens. Grabbing the back of Troy's collar she twisted it around in her hand before thrusting her hand towards the floor, bring him down with it. The second he hit the ground she placed a sharp kick in his side. The gasps from the surrounding teens and teachers strengthened her. She guessed that no one had ever stood up to him, nonetheless a girl.

She felt her ass collide with the tile floor and it took her a moment to register what had happened. Troy had grabbed her ankle and brought her down to the floor. Thank God for fast reflexes, she jumped back up at the same time as he did.

Laughing to herself at the expression on his face, she was amused. She could read it in his eyes. He was astounded that he had been knocked to the ground by someone, but not just any someone. This was the same girl he though was hot this morning, the same girl who was a new student this year, and the same girl who was about to slap him.

Her palm collided with his cheek with a loud and abrupt pop. Once again, the crowd that had gathered gasped. She brought her foot up so it rammed into his sensitive area. She laughed out loud when he fell back to the floor, wincing in pain.

Spinning abruptly on her heel, she walked to where Chad was sitting against the lockers. Extending her hand to pull him up, she asked if he was okay.

"Yeah… I guess." He answered. Chad was still in shock. His new sister had just beaten up Troy Bolton.

The crowd started to disappear but some returned once they saw Troy get back onto his feet. He walked up behind Gabriella who was still talking to Chad. "You'll pay for th-" He started to whisper I her ear but was stopped.

Once she felt his breath on the back of her neck she brought her fist backwards with out turning around and it collided with his jaw painfully. Chad's eyes widened once again as Gabriella just grinned.

Chad got up from the tile floor and walked over to Kelsi and Taylor. "Whoa." Was all he could say.

Gabriella turned her body around and looked in Troy's eyes. Big mistake. His eyes were such a mesmerizing yet emotionless blue that she lost her train of thought for a second. She quickly regained it.

"Stay away from my brother if you ever want to have kids asshole." She hissed. She spun back around to walk over to her friends when she stopped. A rough hand had just slapped her ass and a chuckle and smirk came for the boy behind her.

She sent him daggers when she turned to him. He was now on him feet… well, f right then he was. "Say goodbye to carrying on your family name." She muttered before trying to kick him in the balls.

This time he grabbed her foot just in time. "I would only carry my name on with you baby." He tried to seduce.

"Oh really?" She raised an eyebrow. Getting closer to him she brought her mouth to his ear. "You couldn't handle me." She whispered sexily. He dropped her foot and went to wrap his arm around her waist.

Gabriella slipped back and stalked to her open-mouthed friends. She shot him the middle finger behind her back as she walked to the lunchroom with Kelsi, Taylor, and Chad.

After a few feet Kelsi started laughing. "You are good girl! I bet he is still sitting there drooling!"

"What did you whisper in his ear that made him freeze up?" Taylor laughed.

"That he couldn't handle all this!" Gabriella laughed along and moved her hands down her sides for dramatic effect and to signal to herself.

Chad shot his sister a questioning look and raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry Chad! Even though he could not handle this bitch!" Gabriella giggled as Chad chuckled.

"Did I dream all of that or did my little sister just whoop Troy Bolton's ass?" Chad joked.

"I sure did open up a can of Chinese whoop ass huh?" Gabriella laughed along with all

the others as they walked to the East High cafeteria.

--

Troy licked his lips wantingly. Chad was his rival and now just by messing around with Gabriella and using his charming ways he could piss both of them off. _This isn't over yet. _Troy thought.

**I am soo sorry for not updating but I do have a reason. **

**1.) I went to Disney land for a week**

**2.) I could not bring my laptop so I just made this up because I really wanted to write and this seemed to be a funny story. (Review and tell me if you liked it)**

**3.)I am kinda stuck on my other two stories but I will update on them as soon as possible**

**4.) I JUST FELT LAZY!**

**Review and tell me what you thought! I like these so I will update soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Gabriella's mom and Chad's dad get married, making them step-siblings

Summary: Gabriella's mom and Chad's dad get married, making them step-siblings. Gabriella has to leave her school and friends and move to Chad's school, East High. Troy Bolton, a.ka. Chad's rival, makes a wrong move and finds out how Gabriella Montez-Danforth doesn't take any crap. Chad's girlfriend, Taylor McKessie, warns Gabriella about Troy, but (of course) Gabriella has to be herself and stand up for everyone. Things might get a little messy.

Thanks for all the great reviews on the first chapter. I love reading them and special thanks to missefron15 because her review made me smile. She is one of my favorite authors and she read my story… and loved it! :)

**Chapter 2—Nervous**

"I have basketball practice until five so you can hang out with Taylor until then." Chad told Gabriella as they walked to their lockers after school.

"Sure Hot-Shot." Gabriella replied. Chad had not let her alone all day using the excuse "I need to have someone by me that can kick Troy Bolton's ass so I don't fly to heaven today", but she knew there was more to it.

Chad's bouncing afro disappeared into the red and white hallways of East High as he jogged to the gym. Gabriella turned on her heel and walked over to where Kelsi's and Taylor's lockers were.

"Hey Kels, hey Tay." Gabriella greeted the two girls. The trio had clicked instantly. 

"Hey Gabs." They replied in unison. Both girls slammed their lockers shut before flinging their bags onto their shoulders.

"So… What are we going to do until…"Gabriella paused for a second to remember when Chad's basketball practice was over, "five o'clock."

"Well we usually go watch the shirtless basketball guys." Kelsi answered sarcastically. But, Gabriella decided that it could be fun.

"Let's go!" Gabriella said feigning the voice of one of the slutty cheerleaders.

The girls laughed and hooked arms. Gabriella started skipping in the line, pulling the other girls along with her. "I always knew we needed a party girl!" Taylor joked.

"You haven't seen anything yet! Like I said: Even Troy couldn't handle all this!" Gabriella giggled as they walked over to the bleachers. When the girls were about to sit Gabriella noticed that only one guy was in the gym. She guessed that the other guys were still in the locker room changing.

"How do you know that I couldn't handle you if I have never tried?" A deep, male voice came from behind her. She found this voice incredibly sexy; that was until she recognized it. That voice belonged to the sole male in the gym; Troy Bolton.

Gabriella whipped around, only to find her self almost against Troy's chest. Her breath hitched in her throat. He was a few inches taller than her (about three) so she felt small and weak. That she didn't understand. SHE KICKED HIS ASS EARLIER THAT DAY WHY WAS SHE FEELING SO DAMN SMALL!? 

He smirked as the locker door opened and basketball players started flooding into the gym. Yet, they all were stopped by Chad's strong arms when he saw the scene between his step-sister and rival.

"Don't count on the saving your ass every time Bolton." Gabriella hissed loudly.

He just threw his head back and chuckled. "I don't need my ass saved Montez." He said out loud before bringing his mouth to her ear. "I plan on seeing if I can handle you or not some time soon." His breath sent chills down her spine.

Her wits came back and she would have slapped him. He stepped back and jogged towards the team, unknowingly saving his cheek from throbbing. "Okay guys partner up!" Troy directed the team.

This was when Gabriella half-figured out why Chad was so against Troy. Troy was captain. And, guessing by how boys are, Troy had beaten Chad out of the competition for captain.

"I thought they were supposed to be shirt-less!" Gabriella said all too loud…for when she said it, the whole team turned to look at her. She quickly clapped her hand over her mouth as she realized she said it out loud. "Oops, that was louder than I planned…"

As if cue Troy smirked and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing toned, perfectly chiseled abs that all of the sudden Gabriella longed to touch. She huffily plopped down between her two buds and buried her head in her hands…life could be harsh, but this was plain torture.

"Montez," Troy exclaimed while dribbling down the court and doing a perfect lay-up, "Pick those eyes up! This is a one time show…unless we-" Troy was cut off by a basketball to the head. He jerked his head around only to find Chad smirking slyly. 

"Shut the hell up, Troy." Chad hissed in a dangerously low voice.

"What? Scared of you new sister getting involved with some one like me? Huh?" Troy fired at Chad as he started walking towards him at a very slow rate.

"She wouldn't get "involved" with you anyway!" Chad reprimanded.

"Why? Because I can kick her brother's ass?" Troy growled.

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Gabriella shouted from the bleachers, causing several unexpected teens to jump in surprise. 

Troy and Chad swung their heads around to Gabriella. Her heels clicked as she walked up to the testosterone-filled teens. (lol.) 

"Yall are acting like two-year-olds! Just look at yourselves!" She scolded both boys. Gabriella turned her head and spoke to Chad, "I appreciate that you would stand up for me, but I can do that myself. I have had my fair share of horrible boyfriends and I still lived through that. Don't think that I don't know how to protect myself." She smiled to Chad. "I am glad to have you as a step-brother."

Chad opened his arms to Gabriella. She slipped into them and Chad closed his arms around her.

Gabriella pulled out from Chad's arms after the embrace. She brushed a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear and grinned. 

Troy coughed from behind the two. Gabriella's expression changed completely. She went from cheerful and loving to annoyed and aggravated. Rolling her eyes, she turned to Troy.

"You just need to get a flippin' life." Gabriella spat at Troy.

Troy just shrugged in response. Gabriella was even more confused. Troy never seemed to show any emotion; unless it was anger. But, even with anger he could banish it away and be back to his emotionless self within seconds.

"Please let me drive?" Chad begged Gabriella. 

"Nope." Gabriella answered immediately.

"Come on! Have a little fun!" Chad continued on with his begging. Taylor and Kelsi were in hysterics behind them. They seemed to find Chad begging his sister very funny.

"My car; I drive. End of story!" Gabriella simplified for Chad's smaller-than-a-peanut-sized brain.

Chad huffed dramatically and opened the passenger side door for him to slip in. Taylor slipped into the seat right before he could. 

"Thanks babe." Taylor said as she buckled her seat belt.

Chad nodded. "Anything for you babe." He mumbled.

Kelsi and Gabriella laughed at the cute yet hilarious couple.

"Shit!" Chad exclaimed right once he got settled in his seat.

"What now?" Gabriella asked impatiently. 

"I forgot my gym bag in the locker room!" Chad wined.

"I will get it. You are too slow and my TV show is on in half an hour and I can't miss it." Gabriella said as she unbuckled her seat belt and slid back out of her car.

"Thanks Gabby… I might even drive you home to return the favor!" Chad called after her sarcastically. Gabriella shook her head in the distance.

The gym doors slammed shut much louder than Gabriella was expecting; almost causing her to jump. _Now, where did he say his bag was? _Gabriella remembered that it was in the locker room and was thankful that it was a good fifteen minutes after practice had ended. This meant that no dudes should be in the locker rooms.

She pushed the door open nervously. _I sure do hope that all the sweaty and smelly guys are gone…_ Her mocha eyes scanned across the room; searching for a red gym bag.

It was nowhere to be seen so she traveled farther back into the locker room. She saw the red bag sitting on one of the red benches against the back wall. Walking over to the bag, she could not shake the feeling as if eyes were on her.

She picked the bag up by the handle and turned around to leave. Only to find that her assumption was right: some one's eyes had been on her. Yet, she wasn't surprised when she found out who the beholder of these eyes was.

Troy Bolton.

She had made a promise to herself than and there. NEVER WALK INTO A LOCKER ROOM FOR BOYS AGAIN. This was for three reasons: one, Troy just happened to be still in there, two, he was only in blue plaid boxers, and three, they smelled REALLY bad.

"Do you have reading problems?" Troy asked her with one eyebrow kinked.

"Uh...No. Why?" Gabriella replied, utterly confused. What the hell was he talking about?

"Cause this is the GUYS locker room." Troy emphasized the word "guys".

"No shit Sherlock." Gabriella said, "Chad forgot his bag."

"Admit it." Troy cockily remarked.

"God, Stop only saying half of things! It gets me confused!" Gabriella complained.

"That you just came here to see me." Troy said ignoring her last comment, "Admit it."

Gabriella laughed at his cockiness. "Now why on God's great earth would I walk a few feet to see… that." Gabriella pointed to Troy when she said "that". 

"You know you love it" Troy said as he walked towards her, still only sporting boxers. "All the ladies do."

"I guess I am different than all the other girls then." Gabriella lied. She had to give that to him. He was hot; yet extremely cocky. "And put some jeans on man!"

"No. I think this is perfectly fine." Troy was only about a foot away from Gabriella now so she stepped back a few feet until she felt the cold locker connect with her back. "Why? Does it make you nervous?" Troy smirked.

Troy placed his arms on either side of Gabriella's head against the lockers, caging her in. "So I do make you nervous?"

"No. You just don't look that good that … exposed." Gabriella shrugged.

"I bet you would." Troy said huskily before crashing his lips onto hers.

A/N: okay these chapters are longer than Unforgiven and Under My Roof, so they a little longer to write but I really like this series. They are so much fun to write!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3—Clan

**Chapter 3—Simpson's**

Gabriella was shocked, yet it only took her seconds to recover. She started kissing back. After all, there are more ways than one to tease a guy. Troy shifted his hands to her waist.

Gabriella felt a pair of hands rest on her waist and knew this was stating to get heated.

She detached her lips from his. Realizing that he was staring at her intently, she answered his unasked question. "Chad is waiting for me in the car. I have to go before he sends a search party out for me."

Troy just nodded in response. "Will we continue this?" He asked, propping one arm on the lockers beside her.

"Maybe," Gabriella shrugged. She checked to make sure that Chad's gym bag was still slung on her shoulder. Ducking under his muscular arm, she started to make her way to the door. An idea hit her so she drug her hand across the hem of his navy jeans lightly then slipped out of the locker room.

The door slammed shut behind her and she sighed in victory. That was until she saw a figure with their mouth agape. _Shit._

Troy exited the locker room, fully clothed, and left the gym. Totally oblivious to the fact that two other girls were in the gym. (Typical boy…. Lol)

_Why did he have to come out? _Gabriella thought to herself. She turned and looked at the other person whom was in the gym. "I am soo glad you are not Chad." Gabriella moved her hand across her forehead dramatically.

"Do I even want to know what you two were doing in there?" the red-head asked.

"I swear it is not as bad as it looks." Gabriella defended herself.

"So you were giving Troy a blow job? This all makes sense now." The other girl joked.

"Kelsi! I had no clue you were that over rated!" Gabriella teased, "Just wait until Jason finds out."

Kelsi's face immediately flushed. Gabriella had come to the conclusion that Kelsi was head over heels for another black haired, green eyed, basketball jock.

"Unless you want Chad to find out about you giving Troy a blow job, you might want to keep me liking Jason on the down low!" Kelsi threatened.

"First off, you just admitted to liking Jason…" Gabriella sang. "And second, don't you dare tell Chad ANYTHING and third… I DID NOT GIVE TROY A BLOW JOB!" She clarified.

"Than what did you do?" Kelsi said but added on, "And don't try and tell me nothing!"

"Made out and I teased him just a bit…" Gabriella looked at the floor as she spoke.

"Oh…My…God!" Kelsi screeched. "Do you know what you are getting your self into?"

Gabriella looked puzzled so Kelsi elaborated.

"Troy is Chad's rival! Troy is just messing with you so he can mess with Chad!" Kelsi started, "Troy is just using you. All that boy does is take everything a girl has and ruins it! That is what he'll do to you if you don't watch out."

"You see you are getting it all wrong. _I_ am messing with Troy! For heaven's sake I beat his ass! And I don't let guys in easy, so _he_ won't be able to hurt _me_. But thanks for your concern." Gabriella argued.

"Just look out okay? I really am glad you're my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt… especially by some worthless dude." Kelsi chuckled at the end. "And I promise that I won't tell Chad anything."

"Pinkie promise?" Gabriella asked and held out her pinky.

"Pinkie promise" Kelsi repeated. They linked their pinkies together and laughed at how childish they were being.

"Let's get going before Jason thinks you went missing." Gabriella joked at Kelsi.

Kelsi punched Gabriella's arm. "Meanie-Head…" Kelsi said shaking her head.

"That hurt!" Gabriella clutched her arm in fake pain. The two great friends walked back to the parking lot. Yeah, Kelsi was defiantly not shy once you got to know her.

"We're off to see the Wizard! The wonderful Wizard of Oz! Because Because Because Because Because…" Gabriella sang as she walked to her car with Chad following at her heels.

"I thought you weren't a morning person!" Chad complained rubbing his forehead.

"I'm not…" Gabriella explained, "unless a new student is coming! Everyone is saying that she is a drama queen but, hell, everyone thought I was a stuck-up the first day I came!"

"I shall never understand the female mind." Chad said weirdly, "It is way to complicated!"

"No. It just seams complicated because guys' brains are too small to comprehend anything." Gabriella shrugged.

"Whatever." Chad mumbled before getting in the driver side of Gabriella's car.

"Ahem?!" Gabriella said about Chad in the driver seat.

"Urgh! Can you just let your brother drive once?" Chad wined like a five year old going to the doctor.

"No! I didn't let you drive last night and I am not planning on it today!" Gabriella demanded, "Now for trying to steal my seat… sit in the back and when I pick Tay up she can sit away from you and by me."

"You can't make me!" Chad crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Gabriella.

"That is so immature!" Gabriella pointed out but Chad didn't move a muscle. "So I guess I'll just be immature back."

Gabriella yanked her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed her step dad's cell phone number. He might be at his job for the newspaper that he works on with Gabriella's mom, but who wouldn't want to help their step daughter in need? The phone ran\g twice before he answered it. Chad looked at her with a puzzled face.

"Hey Daddy!" Gabriella said like a little eight year old suck up.

Her step father (but she loved him like a real father because her mom and him had dated for almost two years before getting engaged.) greeted her on the other end of the phone line.

Chad's facial expression went from puzzled to full of horror when he caught on to that Gabriella was talking to his father. _Shit, holy fucking SHIT! _Thinking on instinct, Chad snatched the phone away from Gabriella's ear and to his own.

"Hi dad… no everything is fine… DAD! Taylor and I are only 17!... that is just wrong dad…yes I still have the ones you gave me last year… no they have not been opened… okay… yes… I'll remember… bye dad." Was the only half of the conversation that Gabriella could hear.

"Our dad is a pervert…" Chad grumbled before sliding over the drivers seat and in the back seat.

Gabriella giggled before starting the car and speeding out of the driveway. _I do NOT want to know what they were talking about! _

"Taylor here I come!" Chad said in a superhero voice before darting out of the car and sprinting to Taylor's door step.

Gabriella shook her head. _Brothers._

Kelsi padded over to the girls with an excited expression on her face. "I just saw the new girl in Mr. Matusi's (if anyone knows how to spell it leave it in a review plz! Plz! Plz!) office signing in. She has the same schedule as us."

"Awesome" Taylor and Gabriella chorused before walking to homeroom.

The girls took their seats all in the third row horizontally so they could talk. They remembered the new girl so they left a seat in between Kelsi and Gabriella for her.

"Gabriella I have bad news…" Kelsi whispered to Taylor and Gabriella.

"What?"

"Troy st-" Kelsi started to say until she was interrupted by the booming yet dramatic voice of Ms. Darbus. "Tell you at lunch…" Kelsi whispered before turning to the front of the room where Ms. Darbus stood with a blonde boy and girl.

The boy had blue eyes, blonde hair, and a fair build. He was wearing baggy, but not too baggy, jeans with a blue and yellow polo. A Julliard cap was planted on his head. He didn't look like a dancer but Julliard was THE best dancing school around.

The girl had long, bleach blonde hair that fell to her bust line if it was down but the girl had it harnessed in a low ponytail that fell down her back. She had tan skin, brown eyes, and was wearing a pair of blue jean shorts that were sloppily cut off about two inches above her knees but fit nicely. Her shirt was white but had a blue guitar and green writing that spelled "Best of the 80s." On her feet were a pair of blue sneakers.

"Class, please welcome our new students." Ms. Darbus announced. "Ryan Evans" she announced the blonde dancer boy. "And" She moved her glasses on her face as if making sure the name was right on the paper. "Ima Weiner?" Ms Darbus guessed at the blonde girl's name. (Get it?)

The class tried their hardest to hold back their laughs.

"Ms Darbus my name is Sharpay Evans. Ryan is my twin brother." Sharpay pointed out innocently.

"Sorry I will have to clear that up then." The old lady said and set the paper that she was reading the names off of on the podium to correct. "Sit where you like."

Ryan sat in the only available seat in the back and Sharpay sat herself by the girls. "Hey." Sharpay greeted Taylor, Gabriella and Kelsi.

"That was a good one." Gabriella said referring to the joke Sharpay had obviously played on Ms Darbus.

Sharpay laughed before answering. "Thanks. Watching the Simpson's Movie really pays off huh?"

The four girls laughed. The new girl/Sharpay was really cool. Yet, Kelsi's bad news about Troy was gnawing at Gabriella.

A/N: Sharpay and Ryan are soooo different in my stories so don't think they are the same as in the movie. But I am going to keep the dancing thing (Ryan's Julliard cap) in it. I made Ryan sound kinda hot (and less gay) huh? Lol. Review and I hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I GET TO GO SEE HSM ON ICE WITH MEGAN

Free period finally rolled around and Gabriella's mind was racing. What on earth was Kelsi saying, and more importantly, why did it have the words "Bad" and "Gabriella" in it?

Taylor, Kelsi, and Gabriella walked to their lockers which were contently beside each other to put up their books.

"So where are we hanging out today?" Kelsi spoke up as she shoved her math textbook in her small red locker.

"Outside basketball courts?" Taylor offered up.

"As long as the players aren't there." Gabriella confirmed.

"No they are practicing in the inside gym today." Taylor answered.

"You seem to know a lot about the guys' basketball team." Gabriella teased.

"Yeah. Do you like Chad or something?" Kelsi joked as she and Gabriella started laughing.

Kelsi and Gabriella stopped laughing when they noticed Taylor was not joining in. "Do you like him?" Kelsi guessed. Gabriella and Kelsi both stopped laughing and turned to their dark skinned friend.

Taylor did not reply, instead, she grabbed one of Gabriella's arms and one of Kelsi's arms. Taylor walked out the double doors of the school and to the outside basket ball courts where no one else was.

"I do. But… I… just keep it quiet." Taylor said with a finger pressed to her lips.

Gabriella and Kelsi's jaws hit the green grass hard. "Huh?" they stuttered simultaneously.

"I kind of… sort of like Chad, but I know that with the whole social status quo that it is never going to happen so I just fantasize." Taylor explained slowly to Kelsi and Gabriella.

"Oh… well, we will just have to see about that." Gabriella muttered, a plan already forming in her head. She shot Kelsi a knowing glance and Kelsi shook her head in agreement.

"Shit! I forgot my math binder in my locker!" Gabriella made-up, after faking to look through her book bag. "Tay? Could you go grab it for me?"

"Oh, sure" Taylor answered before turning around to walk back in the school.

"It's the blue one!" Gabriella called after the retreating figure.

Once Taylor was out of hearing range, Gabriella turned to Kelsi. "What is this little plan you are thinking of?" Kelsi asked Gabriella.

"Mission, not plan" Gabriella corrected, "Mission…" Gabriella put her finger to her chin in thought, causing Kelsi to laugh, "Disrupt-the-status-quo-and-get-Taylor-and-Chad-together-without-having-a-nasty-run-in-with-the-asshole. Or DTSQAGTACTWHANRIWTA!" Gabriella said really fast.

"You can remember the name!" Kelsi pointed at Gabriella, "So what do I do?"

Gabriella leaned over to Kelsi and told her the little plan that she had cooked up. "So what do you think?" Gabriella asked after she finished explaining.

"If all goes well they should be together in three days, tops!" Kelsi said hushed when she noticed that Taylor was making her way back over to the pair.

"It wasn't in there." Taylor told Gabriella, referring to the math binder that she had been asked to retrieve.

"Silly me! It was in my Bag the whole damn time! Sorry for making you walk there and back Tay." Gabriella lied.

"No prob" Taylor answered. "We still hanging out here until your bro is done with his little basket ball practice?"

"Yeppers!" Gabriella said oddly, earning odd looks from the other two girls. "What?" she asked, but the one response she got was an eye roll from Taylor and a head shake from Kelsi.

_&Beat Up By A Girl&_

"So… What was this you were talking about in homeroom?" Gabriella asked Kelsi as they sat on the grass beside the outdoor basket ball courts.

"Yeah…that… Troy kinda stole my phone and took your cell phone number off of it before I got it back." Kelsi said really fast before burying her head in her hands, ready for Gabriella to explode.

"So you mean… the asshole... has _my _cell phone number?" Gabriella stuttered shocked.

Kelsi shook her head silently.

"You better be shitting me!" Gabriella almost hollered. Kelsi and Taylor both looked at the grass. "Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Gabriella repeated as she banged her head into the grass.

Taylor held out her hand to stop Gabriella right before her head collided with the grass once again. "It is not _that_ bad…"

"_That_ bad? _That_ bad? Oh hell yeah this is _that_ bad! He has _my_ phone number! My cell phone number! He could-" Gabriella ranted on until Kelsi placed her hand over Gabriella's mouth to shut her up.

"Ew!!" Kelsi said and wiped her palm against the grass. "You licked my hand!"

Gabriella smirked. She learned that when she was five. If you want some one's hand off you mouth just lick their palm. The person will jerk away, never do it again, and cause a laughable scene.

"As I was saying… He could-" Gabriella stopped instantly when she saw the entire boys' varsity basketball team (all shirtless) running to the outside court.

Kelsi nudged Taylor in the ribs knowingly. Taylor still held her gaze on the bushy-haired basketball player.

Kelsi nodded to Gabriella and Gabriella rose to her feet. "Gawk a little less at my bro." Gabriella teased.

"Huh? Oh… I" Taylor stuttered.

Gabriella smirked. Her legs carried her over to the guys' shooting hoops. As Gabriella had planned Coach Bolton just sent the guys out here to shoot around while he did some stuff in his office.

"Chad!" Gabriella beckoned her brother.

At this Taylor let her face fall in her hands. "She better not do something concerning what I just told her." Taylor thought.

Chad chest-passed the orange sphere that he had in his hands to another black-haired player. "What up?"

"Taylor, Kels, and I are going to catch a movie after your practice. You wanna join us?" Gabriella asked.

"As long as it is not some chick flick… and it can't be a romance movie either." Chad demanded saying the word "romance" like it was a disease.

"You have no taste!" Gabriella teased, "But whatever. Make sure you shower though, otherwise you would make all the females around us suddenly become lesbians."

The basketball players were waiting for Chad to finish and were standing still in a semi-circle around them. They all chuckled at Gabriella's comment. Troy had been chatting with another player, but he even chuckled. Troy turned and watched the two.

Troy was really confusing himself. He was actually attracted to Gabriella, and that it self was scaring him. He did not do commitment, of _any_ sort. Well, unless you count basketball… so put it this way, he didn't do commitment to people.

"Ha-ha you are so funny." Chad said sarcastically.

"Ok, and hurry. You are worse than a girl on how long it takes you to get ready." Gabriella continued on with her teasing.

"Hey! The hair has to look good!" Chad defended.

"Sure." Gabriella muttered. She thought that it was about time to actually tell Taylor that they were going to the movies so she turned around.

She found her self right in front of a shirtless Troy. God, he had muscles. And by muscles, I mean, rock hard abs and perfectly chiseled arms. He looked like a statue carved to perfection.

Yet, Gabriella pushed all this out of her mind in an instant. Troy had a victorious look on his face and she was determined to slap it right off. Gabriella already knew why he had that look. He thought that she was going to gawk at his figure (like most all of the other girls at East High) and not be able to say a coherent sentence. How wrong he was.

She didn't let her eyes stay on his for more than an instant. "Ahhhh!" Gabriella screeched, covering her eyes with her hands, "My eyes! They burn!" Gabriella shuffled backwards towards Chad. "Chad, help me! I think I just saw a transsexual!"

Chad was laughing along with the rest of the basketball team while Troy's face was an expression that was unreadable. Troy didn't look pissed, he looked…emotionless.

An idea ran over Troy like a speeding railcar. He stepped towards Gabriella and placed a hand on both sides of her waist. "Want me to prove that I am not one? I gladly would to you." Troy whispered suggestively and huskily in Gabriella's left ear.

"Oh my fucking god!" Gabriella said slowly, "Chad, a transsexual just touched me!" Gabriella yelled and jumped out of Troy's grasp. After sending a smirk unseen to anyone else to Troy, Gabriella ran back to the girls.

Troy's expression changed to more of a shocked one that the entire basketball team could read. He even muttered "What the hell?" It was so surprising to him that this girl hadn't fallen for any of his charms…yet. But after all this it was just more of a turn-on.

"I guess she doesn't like transsexuals." Chad answered Troy's incoherently muttered question. Before Troy had the chance to shoot Chad a glare, Coach Bolton arrived.

"Okay guys, hit the showers! Practice is over!" Coach Bolton ordered.

The team hustled to the locker room after a few words of praise from Coach.

Chad jumped into a shower and started the usual thirty minute routine of pampering his hair.

Troy leaned against one of the red lockers in the guys locker room with a lone white towel wrapped securely around his waist. He through a polo shirt over his head as his mind thought of a brilliant idea, what more fun than to accompany Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, and Gabriella on a trip to the movies?

Chad hurried though his shower and darted to meet the girls.

The girls were still in the same spot as before except they were leaning against the tree trunk, obviously waiting on Chad. "New World Record! Chad only took fifteen minutes to take one measly shower!" Gabriella teased as the four walked to her car to set off for the movie theater.

Troy pulled out of the parking lot after the four. This was going to be interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

"We will just meet you guys in there

A/N: Sorry for not updating but I actually have an excuse! I went on a school trip to Dallas for a week and couldn't bring my laptop! I was like having writing with draws! So I wrote this chapter like uber quick. (The romance will hopefully start in the next chapter)

"We will just meet you guys in there! I want some popcorn!" Kelsi hollered after Chad and Taylor, who were heading into the movie theater.

As Chad and Taylor were walking, Taylor spun her head around and shot Gabriella and Kelsi a suspicious glance. Gabriella and Taylor just smirked.

_&Beat Up By A Girl&_

Troy walked into the movie theater quietly. The last thing he wanted was Gabriella to see him before he was in the same dark theater as she was. His dirty, boyish mind knew that you don't make too much noise in a movie. It was the perfect setting. How else was he supposed to torture her? Well, he did have other ways… but, those ones were inappropriate for the little kids that might be in the theater.

A grin planted it self across Troy's perfect lips. Gabriella was at the candy counter buying black licorice twizlers. The auburn headed friend beside her had a large bucket of popcorn grasped in her hands. He thought the other girls was something like Katrina or something.

He watched the two girls walk into the screen for "Drill bit Taylor." Out of his eyes, he saw Gabriella reach over a steal a handful of the fluffy kernels the other girl was grasping. He even chuckled when he saw the other girl slap Gabriella's hand for stealing her popcorn. Gabriella recoiled her hand quickly while giggling.

At her giggle Troy's grin became even wider. This confused him all over again. Gabriella's laugh seemed to be like music to his ears. From all the poetry that school had forced him to read he knew that cheesy girls and gay boys called this 'love.'

Troy was Troy. He did NOT fall 'in love.' Hell, he wasn't even sure if it existed. To him it seemed like a way for a girl to steal a man's money. Sure you thought you were in so called 'love', but you were really in a deep pile of shit.

When Troy saw that the other four were all in the movie theater, he started to the door. A tall, female blonde crossed his path, veering his mind away from the brunette in the theater.

Troy spun on his heel and went after the blonde. After a second or two of walking behind her, Troy noticed it was that new Sharpay girl from homeroom. He tapped her on the shoulder.

Sharpay turned around. "Oh, hey." She said with an unimpressed look on her face. "You're Troy Belton right?"

"Its Bolton. Troy Bolton." Troy corrected.

"Bye bye then." Sharpay turned to leave, the unimpressed look never leaving her face.

"Whoah, hold on a second." Troy turned her back around, "You wanna catch a movie?" He added a wink to his offer.

"No." Sharpay answered quickly, "I am meeting someone." With that she left and walked to the candy counter. Troy watched as she leaned against the counter, waiting for whoever this person was.

Gabriella walked back out of the screen room for "Drill Bit Taylor". Sharpay immediately perked up. The two girls exchanged hugs before Troy heard Sharpay speak. "You will never guess who just asked me to see a movie with him."

At hearing this Troy ducked behind a cardboard stand up ad for " Prom Night" , he wasn't about to get ratted out by the new girl, especially when everything was going as planned.

"Don't tell me, don't tell me….Jason?" Gabriella questioned.

"Nope." Sharpay replied.

"Justin?" Gabriella guessed again.

"Nope. Give up?"

"Please say it wasn't Troy-asshole-Bolton." Gabriella pleaded.

"It wasn't." Sharpay answered quickly.

"Great, so who was it?" Gabriella wondered.

"Troy" Sharpay stated before covering her mouth with one of her hands.

"I thought you said it wasn't him!" Gabriella screeched.

"You told me NOT to say it!" Sharpay pointed out.

"Whatever. You said no right?" Gabriella hoped to God.

"Right. He crashed and burned!" Sharpay said gleefully.

"Thank you Lord!" Gabriella said, "Wait, where'd he go?"

"I don't know." Sharpay shrugged, "Probably trying to find some desperate girl that would go with him."

"Yay! You listened to what I told you!" Gabriella clapped.

"Yeah. I wouldn't go out with a man-whore like that anyway!" Sharpay said with a wave of her hand.

Troy listened intently from his hiding spot. _Be ready to choke on your own words. _

The two girls giggled in agreement before hooking arms to walk into the theater. Troy chuckled when Gabriella checked over her shoulder—obviously looking to see if he was following them.

_&Beat Up By A Girl&_

The theater was bursting with laughter as Drill bit Taylor asked one of the kids for relationship advice. Gabriella laughed hysterically beforereaching over and grabbing a handful of Kelsi's popcorn.

As the laughter silenced, Gabriella's jaw dropped. Troy strutted cockily into the theater, flaunting the preppy girls hanging off of each of his arms.

Sharpay jabbed her shoulder into Gabriella's side, obviously noticing the menacing sight. Gabriella rolled her eyes as Troy whispered to one girl before she left. The girl even rolled her eyes and looked very annoyed.

Troy turned to the second girl and whispered in her ear. That girl left the theater with a giddy smile.

"Did you just see that?" Sharpay whispered to Gabriella. "He probably told that second girl that he would do 'it' with her!"

Gabriella giggled as quietly as she could. "Yeah you're probably right about that one!"

Gabriella's phone vibrated in her pocket. She flipped it open and read the text message from Kelsi who was sitting a few rows above Taylor and Chad to inform Gabriella of the soon-to-be-couple's actions.

_Chad made a move! He has his arm around her now! _The message read. Gabriella replied with a "Finally!"

Gabriella saw Troy sit down in one of the font rows of the theater. She picked up her now-empty cup and walked down the steps relieved. _Thank you God for not letting him sit by me or Sharpay._

_&Beat Up By A Girl&_

Troy raised his body out of the chair and walked out of the theater to the candy counter area. Gabriella had gone this way—alone. He spotted her waiting in line for a refill of her drink.

Smirking, he propped one foot against the wall and crossed his arms. He kept his eyes transfixed on her the entire time she moved forward in line.

_&Beat Up By A Girl&_

Gabriella turned away from the counter to meet a pair of cobalt blue eyes. She changed the hateful look on her face to a smirk and walked over to him.

"Hey." She greeted casually.

"Hey." Troy returned in the same way. He changed his position to standing in front of Gabriella. "The locker room was fun." Troy commented, expecting her facial expression to change.

"Oh, about that…I know for a fact that Chad wouldn't approve. We need to stop doing stuff like that." Gabriella said.

"Oh so Chad controls you now?" Troy remarked. "So I can't control you but Chad can? This is really good. Your step-brother told you not to mess with me didn't he?" Troy's voice rose in anger, "Did he ever stop to think that—" He stopped himself before he spilled more than he wanted to.

Gabriella stood there in shock. Troy Bolton, _the_ Troy Bolton, showed emotion. And a lot of it at that.

"Fuck this shit." Troy muttered before walking out of the theater angrily.

_&Beat Up By A Girl&_

"Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting!" Chad, Taylor, and Kelsi sang loudly. (Sharpay was driving to her house in her own car.

Kelsi stopped singing and glanced to Gabriella whom was driving. "What's with you?" Kelsi asked, having noticed Gabriella's shut-off and quiet attitude.

"Oh, I'm fine." Gabriella said in a way that wasn't very reassuring or truthful.

"Well, here's my house. Tell me later ok?" Kelsi whispered the last part to Gabriella since Taylor and Chad were still singing in the backseat.

Gabriella just nodded silently. Kelsi had been the only one who noticed her behavior. The other three (Chad, Taylor, and Sharpay) had been too consumed in the movie or talking or they just couldn't read her.

Gabriella drove to Taylor's house and dropped her off. Taylor had been extremely happy since the movie and Gabriella assumed that something had gone on with Taylor and Chad. She would hear Taylor gossiping about it in the morning at school.

Chad moved up to the passengers seat after walking Taylor to her door. He was blushing furiously.

Gabriella shot him a quizzical look. "Taylor kissed me on the cheek!" Chad hollered as an answer while rubbing his hands together. "The hair is so good!"

Gabriella just shook her head and rode the rest of the way to their house in silence (except for the pound of the music).

_&Beat Up By A Girl&_

Gabriella laid face-up on her bed. She couldn't sleep. Well, how was she supposed to? Troy Bolton would not get off her mind. Why? She had not a clue.

Ever since his blow up at the movies she couldn't help but feel horrible. And what did her mean by "Did he ever stop to think that—"

She ended the sentence in every way possible. "Did he ever stop to think that I cared?" "Did he ever stop to think that I wasn't that bad?" and the one that was bugging her the most, "Did he ever stop to think that what people said actually hurt me?"

Gabriella had now decided something. Tomorrow night she was going to find out what the hell was wrong with him—or her.


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriella rolled over in her bed

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait but this chapter was really hard to produce. It was way hard to get this just the way I wanted it. If you have any ideas for this story please tell me or if you have a funny moment, comment, saying, etc. that you came across please leave it in a review so I can use it in a future chapter. Believe it or not, funny things that I can fit into this story don't come way too easy but I have been hanging out with Megan so when I have all the girls meet up (in this chapter or the next hopefully) it will be friggin hilarious. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and things I made up. I just jack the Disney's High School Musicals' Characters and make them do and say stuff that they would **_**never**_**air on Disney Channel.**

Gabriella rolled over in her bed. She promised herself that she was going to figure out what was wrong with Troy tomorrow night, but she couldn't wait any longer. She had to figure it out now or she was never going to get any sleep.

Gabriella pulled herself out of bed and glanced at the alarm clock. It read 10:30 in big red letters and Gabriella knew a person like Troy would still be awake right now. She plopped herself down onto her black, squishy computer chair and wiggled the mouse to get the computer to come back to life.

She signed onto AIM and searched for Troy. It took her almost ten minutes to find him but she finally did, and he was on. _Knew he would be on… What player wouldn't be trying to flirt with girls when normal people would already be going to bed?_

She sent him a message with al her guts. How could she be one to beat him up but still need to summon courage just to send him a message? That was one question she wanted to answer, because she didn't know the answer herself. And that bothered her.

**Ikickyoass24: **Hello, Earthling.

**Screammyname14: **Who is this?

**Ikickyoass24: **Your worst nightmare.

Gabriella chuckled at her own weirdness. This wasn't proving to be as hard as she had imagined. Well, they weren't even really in a conversation yet either.

**Screamingmyname14: **Seriously, are you a member of the Troy Bolton fan club or something?

**Ikickyoass24: **Read the name and think about it. And could you be even fuller of yourself?

**Screamingmyname14: **Gabriella! Want more already? I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised.

**Ikickyoass24: **Yeah, it Gabriella.Ew, Bolton, ew.

**Screamingmyname14: **What color are your bedroom walls?

**Ikickyoass24: **Um, light blue, why?

**Screamingmyname14: **Great.

**Screamingmyname14 has signed off.**

Gabriella stared at the computer screen in confusion. _What the hell?_ Gabriella turned off her computer and sat back down on her bed.

She let herself slip back under the white bed sheets that had light blue designs on them. A sigh escaped her mouth unwillingly. Confusion was swimming around her head. Troy was intriguing her. Very much so at that.

……………………………

"Why do there have to be mornings?" Gabriella complained to Chad as she hopped into her awesome car.

Chad opened his mouth to speak but Gabriella but him off. "No you will never, ever, ever, drive my car if my life depended on it. I will not risk my car's life like that."

Chad just huffed and slid into the passenger's seat. Gabriella laughed in her head before starting the car and heading to East High.

……………………………..

Gabriella's car door slammed. There he was. He was just leaning against the brick wall of the school like he had been waiting for her to pull up. Her heels clicked as she stormed off in the direction of the school double doors. Somewhere along the trek to the doors she would have to pass right by Troy. It was inevitable.

Her mighty plan worked, well actually it wasn't a plan it just happened in a way she wanted it to. Since she looked pissed, Troy knew that he would be able to get on her nerves quicker so he latched onto her arm when she walked by him on the way to the entrance of East High.

She had promised herself last night that she would figure out what Troy's problem was, and this was going to end up helping her. BUT, she did need to have him either get so angry he spat it out unintentionally, like he was about to do at the movie theater, or to get him to trust her and him tell her on purpose.

Gabriella smirked as Troy held onto her arm and pulled her to him. "Ikickyoass24? What kind of name is that?" Troy whispered in her ear from standing behind her with his back pressed up against the brick wall and her back against his rock hard chest.

Maybe the get him so mad he spat it out unintentionally plan would end up being how she figured out his secret, whether or not she meant to do it that way or not. Even if she could get him angry enough to spill his secret, she wouldn't find out. If Troy kept his secret a secret for years, even being on the top of the school's totem pole, then he would be smart enough then to yell his secret out at her while there were other students bustling around them. Gabriella even noticed a lot of students stealing glances at the two now, imagine how many teens would be listening in if Troy spilled a secret no one at East High knew of.

"It's obviously a true one. You could vouch for me about it." Gabriella shot back at him, answering his supposed to be nonchalant question about 'what kind of name is that'.

Troy switched their positions rapidly. One moment, Gabriella was against Troy and Troy was against the wall, and the next Gabriella's back was in close contact with the rough bricks and Troy had an arm on each side of her head, caging her.

"It's kind of sexy too." Troy muttered, awfully close to Gabriella's own lips.

"That wasn't my aim, but I guess it can help a girl out, huh?" Gabriella said, half shocked that he was so blunt about what he had just said.

"But you don't need any help…" Troy trailed off and crashed his lips onto hers for the second incident since they had met.

……………………

"Hey Tay…" Chad said to Taylor.

"Hey." Taylor said, a blush came to her cheeks that she didn't even know the reason for. Was Chad doing this to her? He had only said a simple 'hey', something he said to everyone. She had been Chad's girl _space_ friend for a few years so why was she blushing now?

"The movie theater was great. I would love for us to go again." Chad said as smooth as he could, "Maybe next time we go we could leave Gabriella and Kelsi to fend for them selves…" He rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he had when he was nervous.

The couple turned to walk into the school building as Taylor spoke. "Next time?" A grin spread across her face,. Chad had just implied that they were going to go on _another_ date!

Before Chad even had the chance to think of some excuse, he stopped dead in his tracks. "What?" Taylor asked from behind him but then followed his gaze and answered her own question.

Troy had Gabriella against the wall and they were in the midst of a heated make-out session. Chad and Taylor watched as Troy's left hand slid down the wall and grasped onto Gabriella's hip, so only one of his arms were propped against the brick wall.

Chad's face redden, but not with a blush, with anger.

…………………..

"Troy," Gabriella said and pulled away from their lip-lock, "The bell is about to ring and I haven't went to my locker yet. Plus, someone could see us."

"Oh yeah, Chaddie would be so angry!" Troy said sarcastically before leaning in to meet her lips yet again.

Just as his lips were about to clash against Gabriella's she put her hand against his chest. "I'm serious. Not now." Gabriella said sternly.

"So you're implying that it will happen again?" Troy caught her on her own words.

"Who knows these days." Gabriella whispered close to his ear just as the bell went off. "Shit." Troy heard her mumble as Gabriella ran into the school building (probably running over other students along the way), and he dug his hands into his pockets instead.

Troy stood still for a moment in thought. He had actually let Gabriella leave, something that most people who didn't know Troy deeper than his player status would have never thought possible. Nonetheless, he had stopped right when he was positive that she was serious. Gabriella Montez was doing things to him that she wasn't even aware of.

Gabriella didn't know it yet but she was edging closer to Troy's secret. But Troy himself was aware of that. A sigh escaped his mouth and he dug his hands even deeper into the pockets of his jeans.

He turned around to walk to the other entrance of the school (that entrance was right by his first class and he could avoid the swarm of kids in the hallways) and met the angered stare of Chad Danforth.

Chad had seen the whole thing, and so had Taylor.

**A/N: Okay, sorry about the long wait but I had an excellent idea and it was just one of those ideas that are awesome but a little hard to get just the way you want them. Am I making any sense? **

**REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE with cherries on top press that little purple button! It want to be clicked!**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY

**A/N: Hello fellow readers! I haven't gotten as many reviews as I would have liked on the last chapter, but I post my stories because I think its fun. Still, I LOVE reviews. And this chapter and the last one and maybe even the one after this, will have more drama than the others, but I hate drama, so I am going to try to put more humor in the chapters. **

**Go check out my other story, "The Music Within Us", I take requests over there and those are real fun to write. Enough talk, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I aint got nothing, except the things you wouldn't recognize. Why do you have to write these anyway, all they do is depress you!?**

**Chapter 7:**

"Do you know what is wrong with him?" Gabriella asked Kelsi on their way to lunch. Chad and Taylor had walked right past her less than a minute ago, and when she called their names, they just ignored her.

"No, they talked to me earlier…" Kelsi racked her brain for any reason that Chad and Taylor were ignoring her, "Gabriella?" Kelsi asked once and idea hit her.

"What Kels?" Gabriella turned and faced the best friend she had made at East High.

"I think I might have an idea of why they aren't talking to you, but it's just an idea." Kelsi approached warily.

"Really? Tell me!" Gabriella had been wondering why Chad and Taylor were ignoring her since first period and it was really bugging her.

"Okay, but how bout you come to my house tonight and spend the night? I'll tell you then, I am positive that you don't want anyone else to know about this…" Kelsi trailed off and Gabriella could conclude that Kelsi's idea had something to do with Troy.

"Okay. I'll call my parents but I am sure they will let me go since Chad is going to Jason's and they won't want me home alone." Gabriella told Kelsi.

"But, my Dad won't be home. He is on some kind of business trip, and he didn't want me alone either so that another reason I invited you." Kelsi elaborated.

"Oh, okay." Gabriella slammed her locker shut and walked with Kelsi towards the lunchroom.

The two girls made their way into the cafeteria, through the lunch line, and walked towards their normal table—the one they always sat at with Taylor and Chad and an occasional Jason so Chad 'wasn't the only one with 'man parts'' as Chad had said several times. But, to Gabriella's and Kelsi's surprise, Taylor and Chad were at the table—and so was the rest of the basketball team excluding Troy. 'Troy never seems to be with the rest of the team unless it's a practice of game…' Gabriella took a mental note of. With this many new people at the table, there was only one open spot.

Gabriella saw Taylor wave discreetly at Kelsi as her chocolate eyes scanned the large lunch room for another spot for her and Kelsi to sit. It was apparent that Taylor was only wanting Kelsi to notice her beckoning, and that Gabriella wasn't being invited. Kelsi just turned right back to Gabriella instead of going to join Taylor.

"I saw Taylor wave at you. It's okay if you want to go sit with them…" Gabriella half-mumbled, half-spoke. Truthfully, Gabriella had no friggin clue what she would do if Kelsi ditched her for Chad and Taylor. By Kelsi's simple 'Nah, your way cooler anyway.' Gabriella knew that Kelsi practically read her last thought.

"Thanks, Kels." Gabriella told Kelsi with a genuine smile stretched across her features, "So where on Earth are we going to plant our butts?"

Kelsi giggled at Gabriella choice of words. "There is a table over there with no one in it." Kelsi gestured to a table just off to the far left of the lunch room where the table was –sure enough, -- vacant. Gabriella couldn't even remember ever noticing the table, from it's spot in the corner it was easily missed but nothing appeared wrong with it.

"Off we go then!" Gabriella said cheerfully. She could at least pretend that Chad's reason for ignoring her and Troy's secret weren't gnawing away at her. The best friends sat the table so they were right beside each other.

"Kelsi?" Gabriella queried after the two had sat down and nibbled on their food.

"Yeah Gabborino?" Kelsi answered with a new nickname.

Gabriella felt one of her eyebrows at the odd, new nickname but didn't mention anything about it. "Since there is absolutely no one close enough to hear us…" Gabriella now thanked the secluded and alone location of the table, "could you tell me why you think that Chad and Taylor might be treating me like one of those people that you never talk to in public because they're a freak?"

"Umm... okay." Kelsi drew in a deep breath before continuing, "Don't take this in the wrong or overly personal way, but have you and—" Kelsi was cut short by the clank of another plastic tray hitting the surface of the lunch table. Gabriella and Kelsi's heads looked up to see who the new comer was.

_I swear if it's Troy…_Gabriella thought. She then rose her mocha eyes to look at who the person was.

"Hey, Gabby. Were you hoping I was Troy?" Sharpay said in a teasing voice.

"What are you talking about Blondie?" Gabriella forced out through her teeth.

"Come on Gabby! Chad, Tay, and I saw your little show this morning!" Sharpay said in a duh tone while she sat down on the side of Gabriella that was not occupied by Kelsi.

"Oh…" Kelsi said as she put two and two together, "That explains why Chad and Taylor weren't talking to Gabborino this morning and why they didn't want her to sit with them…" The littlest girl of their 'group' concluded.

"Wait, then why are you still talking to us and not ignoring us like Chad and Tay?" Kelsi said after a moment when all the girls had something going on in their head.

"Uh, have you not seen that man's ass?" Sharpay said like Kelsi had just asked why guys liked girls, "I couldn't be mad at someone when I would have made out with that boy on stage in front of my parents!"

"Whoah, Whoah, Whoah! I didn't plan it and it was only by the doors to the school when most kids were in the building, not in front of my parents or on a stage!" Gabriella said, trying her hardest not to yell at the top of her lungs.

"I was just making it more dramatic! I don't even think there is a stage around here with the exception of the one in the auditorium…" The blonde trailed off.

Gabriella banged her head on the red and white table. "Stupid me, STUPID me!" Gabriella chanted each time her head came in contact with the table.

Sharpay slid her hand onto the table where Gabriella's forehead and the table kept meeting, softening the impact and eventually making Gabriella stop. "So is he really as good of a kisser as everyone says he is?" Sharpay said right once Gabriella ceased hitting her head on the table.

Gabriella groaned. _Why me?! _Gabriella yelled in her mind.

"Sharpay!" Kelsi scolded the blonde at the same time of Gabriella's groaning.

"Sorry! I was just curious!" Sharpay defended herself, "But, seriously, is he?"

"How 'bout Gabriella answers that question tonight?" Kelsi babbled, "That is, if you are free to stay the night at my house tonight."

"Of course! I will so be there at around 5. I'll even bring a few things so we can have a _real_ slumber party!" Sharpay said way over excited.

Kelsi laughed and Gabriella smiled at the blonde's eagerness. "Glad someone is actually not hating me…" Gabriella mumbled to herself.

"Gabby, Chad and Tay don't hate you. They just… I don't know…" Kelsi trailed off her speech.

"They just don't realize how hott that man is!" Sharpay pointed out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sharpay's exclamation actually made Gabriella giggle. Sharpay was turning out to be pretty cool, and with Sharpay at this 'slumber party' Gabriella was sure she was going to have a blast.

--

--

"The girl with the goods has arrived!" Sharpay announced loudly once Kelsi opened the door for her.

"Sweet! What did cha bring?" Kelsi asked as the two walked into Kelsi's living room where Gabriella had planted herself on the love-seat.

"Ice cream, Titanic, red nail polish, Dance Dance, the usual." Sharpay answered.

"Dang girl, are we staying up all night?" Gabriella joked.

"Matter of fact, yeah we are!" Sharpay cheered. "Who cares if step-brother Chad and his _almost _girlfriend are ignoring you or if made out with _the_ hottest guy in school, because we are going to partay!"

The three girls busted out into laughter. "Okay, let's get this 'partay' started!" Kelsi yelled through out the house with enough sound to shake the pictures off the walls.

--

--

"Wow. I think I gained a full ten pounds!" Gabriella said, clutching her stomach and doing an impression of a girl that was measuring her stomach to make sure it wasn't too big.

All the girls laughed at Gabriella's impersonation. "Seriously though, did you think we _each_ needed a half gallon of mint chocolate ice cream?" Kelsi joked once her laughter was under control.

"Every girl needs two boyfriends for a night!" Sharpay joked right back.

"Yeah, Ben & Jerry. Every woman's dream!" Gabriella put her hand over her heart in mock affection.

"Oh yeah!" Sharpay and Kelsi said together before rolling on the floor in laughter for the hundredth time that night.

--

--

"I can't believe I cried again!" Kelsi said dramatically, "I have seen Titanic a million times and I cry every damn time!"

"Me too sister!" Gabriella agreed, "Leonardo Di Caprio has a way with floating away like an adorable little popsicle that makes every girl cry!"

"Right on!" Sharpay joined in, "And that man's eyes… wo-wee!" The girls all giggled at her.

"How 'bout we go paint our nails now?" Kelsi suggested.

"Sure, I'll go get a old towel so we don't get nail polish everywhere. Ya'll can go on up to my room and we can do 'em on my bed." Kelsi said as she disappeared into the kitchen.

When Kelsi came back to her room she found Sharpay sprawled out on her bed and Gabriella sitting in her computer chair. "While you paint Shar's nails would you mind if I got on my instant message?" Gabriella asked.

"No prob." Kelsi answered.

Gabriella logged into her IM before getting up. "Hey, Kels? Where is your bathroom?"

"Down the hall, second door on the left…" Kelsi said while trying to get the red paint to get on Sharpay's toes perfectly.

"Thanks. Be right back guys." Gabriella left the room.

--

--

"There!" Kelsi said about thirty seconds after Gabriella left the room.

"They look good. Thanks Kels!" Sharpay said after examining her toes.

A loud beep rang through the room. Kelsi and Sharpay looked at each other after they both realized that the beep came from Gabriella's IM. Sharpay nodded her head at Kelsi and they both got up off the bed and stalked over to the computer screen.

**Screamingmyname14: **Where are you?

Sharpay looked at Kelsi and whispered if she should reply. Kelsi was about to nod, but they herd Gabriella's footsteps coming so they hopped back onto the bed and Sharpay started painting Kelsi's toe nails, acting as if they never saw what was on the computer screen.

When Gabriella came in and sat back in the chair, both girls turned their heads to see the annoyed expression written on Gabriella's face.

**A/N: sorry for the lateness I was at a camp and I was just plain lazy for a while! :) Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, I really love when people review, (hint, hint) **

**Please check out my other story called She Don't Want The World, it is a Troyella, and so is my youtube series. My youtube name is the same as on here, katelynnwritesalot . And my collection of One-Shots isn't doing so well, so if I don't get anymore feedback, I might just delete it.**

**On with Chapter 8 of Beat Up By A Girl**

**--**

**--**

Sharpay and Kelsi watched as Gabriella typed on the keyboard so hard that they wouldn't be surprised if the keys broke and went flying like superman across the room. Once, Gabriella was done murdering the keyboard she leaned back in the chair and mumbled something Sharpay nor Kelsi, could understand.

"What just flew up your ass?" Sharpay asked.

"Damn him! Damn him down to the pits of hell!" Gabriella shouted angrily.

Kelsi was suddenly glad her parents were gone.

"Who are you damning?" Kelsi and Sharpay asked in unison.

"That horrid Troy Bolton! He caused all this! If I could just have on minute with him-" Gabriella was interrupted by Sharpay.

"You'd make out with him even longer?" Sharpay cut her off, "I know I would. Have y'all seen his ass? Talk about, fine!" Sharpay dragged out the last word in emphasis.

"Sharpay!" Gabriella screeched but was stopped from saying anything more when her computer beeped. All three of the girls darted to the computer screen faster than bugs attracted to a light bulb.

**Screamingmyname14: **Where are you?

**Ikickyoass24: **Kelsi's house, not like it is any of you business, life-destroyer.

**Screamingmyname14: **Whoah, whoah, whoah! Life-destroyer? If I recall, you seemed very eager to be kissing me, Miss Montez.

**Ikickyoass24: **Because of that little 'scene' my own step-brother is ignoring me along with Taylor!

Gabriella knew she was blowing this way out of proportion. If she was supposed to be mad at anyone it should be herself, she was the one who wanted to figure out Troy's secret anyway. Sharpay was the first to speak.

"Gabs, I-" the blonde started.

"I know, it's fine if you want to hate me forever." Gabriella said, thinking that Sharpay was going to say something along the lines of calling her a slut or something like that.

"Of course not! I was just wondering if you umm…." Sharpay became nervous but the beep of the computer saved her. Once again, all the girls looked to the computer screen.

**Screamingmyname14: **So what do you call the locker room? Scene number one? And you can't blame me for any of this crap with Chad.

Gabriella sighed, he was smarter than she thought. She typed her reply, not wanting to know if Sharpay was going to ask what happened in the locker room. At this rate, the whole school would know by tomorrow.

**Ikickyoass24: **I know… sorry?

Gabriella couldn't believe herself. Did she really just say sorry to Troy? She shook the thought out of her head and looked at Sharpay.

"Locker room? I am feeling out of the loop!" Sharpay declared, looking from Kelsi to Gabriella, "And I don't like feeling out of the loop!"

Kelsi quickly briefed Sharpay on the locker room incident when Gabriella shot her a look of permission. "Damn Gabs." Were the first words out of Sharpay's mouth, "Two times, lucky duck."

"It's not lucky! I don't even know why this keeps happening!" Gabriella cried. She did know that she wanted to know Troy's secret but she didn't exactly ask to make out with Troy. There were other ways to figure out the mystery of the blue eyed teen, and those were the ways she was counting on.

"I think you like him." Sharpay blurted. Gabriella's and Kelsi's jaws dropped and eyes got as big as golf balls. None of the girls paid attention to the computer beep.

"I _can't _like Troy. He is Troy Bolton for crying out loud!" Gabriella justified.

"But you have made out with him twice and talked to him how many times? Troy doesn't talk to just anybody, and he only talks to cheerleader girls, but that isn't talking, it's flirting to get a good screw." Sharpay said. Gabriella looked at Sharpay, and knew she was right about what she just said. Why was Troy even talking to her?

"He sent another IM." Kelsi said and all the girls looked to the glowing screen.

**Screamingmyname14:** Don't say sorry. I know for a fact that it is easier to blame other people for things when you should really blame yourself.

There it was. Another clue, or whatever you want to call it, to Troy's secret. Gabriella was inching closer.

**Ikickyoass24: **Yeah… I'm just… I don't know.

Gabriella was almost scared of herself when she saw that she sent that. She was being truthful to Troy Bolton. She was actually carrying on a heart filled conversation with the asshole called Troy Bolton, and he hadn't said any sexual puns or anything like he normally did. "What the hell?" kept running through Gabriella's mind.

None of the girls said a word until the computer beeped again. They were all lost in their own thinking.

**Screamingmyname14: **Meet me at the basketball court at the park on Nixon Lake Rd. in an hour.

**Screamingmyname14 has signed off**

Gabriella's heart stopped. Had he really just asked to meet her? Kelsi and Sharpay started talking at the same time.

"Oh my God Gabs! You have to go!"

"What would he want?"

"Maybe he'll kiss you!"

"I wonder what you're gonna wear… You can't go in your pjs obviously!"

"I wonder if he will be shirtless…." Sharpay fantasized out loud, causing Gabriella and Kelsi to look directly at her.

"Why on earth would he be shirtless?" Kelsi asked the blonde.

"Yeah, I don't think he just goes around shirtless all day." Gabriella added.

"Hey, a girl can dream right?" Sharpay defended herself. "So, are you going to meet him?" Sharpay changed the subject.

"I don't know…" Gabriella trailed off. _Should I?_

"Well, ya are!" Sharpay said loudly.

"Shar!" Kelsi and Gabriella said at the same time.

"What?" Sharpay said innocently, "I'm not letting you miss out on this. He is the hottest hot guy in the world! And he wouldn't want to meet you if he wasn't interested in you!"

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Gabriella explained. "Chad hates him and he is THE biggest asshole at times, so how could I even be with him."

"Gabborino, this is about you. Not Chad. Not anyone." Kelsi said logically. "I say you should go."

"So are we voting now?!" Gabriella almost yelled, then got out of the computer chair and let herself fall flat onto Kelsi's queen sized bed.

"Gabs, you don't have to go if you don't want to. We just think that you should. If you don't you'll always be wondering." Sharpay spoke as she and Kelsi sat on the bed beside Gabriella.

"That's the thing. I want to go." Gabriella mumbled quietly but both of the girls heard.

Kelsi and Sharpay shared a glance before jetting off to Gabriella's closet.

--

--

"Here." Kelsi said as she threw a outfit on top of Gabriella's head which was still buried in the mountain of forest green pillows that matched Kelsi's comforter.

Gabriella reluctantly lifted her head and picked the clothes off of her head to look at them. Kelsi and Sharpay had picked out a pair of cut-off shorts that ended just below the knee and a red scoop neck top and a black undershirt. "Thanks guys." Gabriella said sincerely as she walked into Kelsi's bathroom to change.

The clothes landed on the counter with a soft plop as Gabriella looked at her self in the mirror just above the sink. This was so not her. She had had boyfriends at her old school, but never had she agreed to meet them at 11:30 at night. Truthfully, she didn't really like having a boyfriend. Sure they were great in the beginning, but then they got to clingy and annoying and then they wanted more than just kissing. That was when Gabriella usually cut it off.

This was new for Gabriella and, truth be told, she was slightly petrified.

Gabriella changed out of her pjs and into the clothes Kelsi had previously gave her. She brushed through her hair and decided against putting it up. It was dark anyway.

When she exited the bathroom and walked back down the hall to Kelsi's bedroom, both Sharpay and Kelsi were sitting on the bed talking. "We are going to drive you to the park and wait in the same spot until you come back, and we promise we wont spy." Kelsi glared at Sharpay when she said the last part.

Gabriella guessed Sharpay wanted to watch. "That's fine, but you guys don't have to wait. I can just call." Gabriella reasoned, but doubted that they would use her way.

"Nope. I like our idea better." Sharpay said before jumping off the bed and bounding over to Gabriella, reminding her off a puppy dog. "Now let's boggie on outta here so Cinderella can meet Prince Hottness!"

Gabriella and Kelsi both laughed as they followed the blonde out the door and to Sharpay's car. "I thought it was Prince Charming." Kelsi commented.

"Not in my book, especially when you are describing such a dude as Troy!" Sharpay justified her nickname as she fired up the cars engine and sped down to the meeting spot.

**A/N: Like it? Love it? Hate it? Tell me in a review!**

**Also, what do you want to have happen? I would love some ideas! Please leave me some ideas in a review, because I have many ways I can go with this and I want to know which way y'all would like. Any ideas will be thought over and I will give you credit if I use all or part of your idea in the next chapter. The more reviews the faster the update!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I have a deal with y'all. If I can get to 65 reviews for this story by August 20****th****, I will post three back-to-back chapters on the 24****th****. Is that a deal? Remember guys, 65 reviews, and if y'all astound me and get me around 75 reviews, I'll post FOUR back-to-back chapters instead of just three. Think about it! Steal your friends minds and force them to read and review! :)**

**And a special thank you LaurFoSho and rockstar112 for the ideas! And thanks to everyone else who reviewed Chapter 8!**

**On with Chapter 9…**

"I can't do it." Gabriella mumbled from the passenger seat.

"I don't care if you think you can do it or not, because me and Kelsi know you can. And that's a fact." Sharpay told her and Kelsi patted Gabriella's shoulder from the backseat.

"You have nothing to worry about Gabborino. And if you want to get out of there, we will be right here waiting." Kelsi assured her best friend.

The three girls had only met a week ago, but they were close. That was an upside to the whole Troy situation, it had brought them closer. Gabriella knew she could trust Sharpay ad Kelsi and she also knew that she would spill everything out to them once she had came back from her meeting with Troy.

Gabriella sighed, opened the car door, and put one leg out of the vehicle. "Remember guys, no spying. I'll tell you all about it later."

Sharpay huffed but agreed, causing Gabriella to laugh. Gabriella exited the car and shut the door behind her, walking out into the dark park.

"Well, there went my mastermind plan." Sharpay murmured.

"Huh?" Kelsi asked, totally lost in Sharpay's words.

"I even brought the video camera!" the blonde crossed her arms across her chest.

"What the hell are you talking about Sharpay?" Kelsi was frustrated at this point.

"I was going to sneak up on them with the video camera and film them talking. Then, whenever we got back to your place we could replay the tape and Gabriella could notice how she and Troy would make the World's Greatest Couple!" Sharpay explained.

"We aren't going to do that Shar."

"I know, I know. But don't you think that would be so much fun! It would be like pulling a James Bond!" Sharpay clapped her hands rapidly.

"Sure Shar."

--

--

She knew it. She knew this would happen. Why didn't she just not go?

He wasn't here. He was the one who had invited her to meet him here, not the other way around. So why was she the only person in the entire park?

She also knew that she was going to have to wait for him for just a little bit, otherwise Sharpay would say she should just go back and look for him some more.

Gabriella ran a hand through her hair. What did she look like to other people? Here she was, all alone and standing in the middle of a basketball court. It was 11:30 at night and the only light was cast by the moon illuminating the concrete court. She was dressed like it was the middle of the day, and there wasn't even a bench near by to sit on.

Gabriella turned to pace along the basketball court when the moonlight hit a big twisting slide perfectly. A smile slid onto Gabriella's face and she changed her direction to walk to the slide. Her feet made soft noises on the metal as she climbed up the three steps. Then she had to duck her head to crawl through a tiny tunnel to get to the other end of the little play toy. Once she could stand upright again, she walked up a few more stairs until she was at the mouth of the slide.

The slide was small, but Gabriella was sure she could slide down it. She sat down at the top of the smile and then pushed off. She had to lay down in the tunnel so that her head wouldn't hit the top. After a curve or two, Gabriella could see the moonlight again.

She was suddenly on the ground. Laughing at herself, she stood up and brushed the mulch off of her clothes. Right once the slide ended, she didn't grab onto the sides so she wouldn't go shooting out onto the ground. A few pieces of mulch were in her hair and she picked those out, still laughing.

"_How_ old are you?" A smug voice said, making Gabriella jump.

"17, but that doesn't mean you can't slide." Gabriella answered and looked at the speaker. She had known it would be Troy, but she didn't know that he would look as stunning as he did.

He was in all black, well, relatively. His jeans were the darkest shade she had even seen and the lack of light made them look even darker. A black button up shirt covered his upper half. All the black had made his eyes seem even bluer. Even in the moonlight, she was mesmerized by his eyes, the light seemed to have an attraction to them too because they still looked incredibly bright.

"I guess you're right." He said and studied her appearance for just a second. "Are 17 years olds too old to swing on the swings?"

"Of course not." Gabriella answered.

Troy smiled at her before turning around and walking over to the swing set. There were only two swings so they were swinging right beside each other. "I bet you I can jump off farther than you." Troy challenged.

"Prepare to eat mulch, Bolton." Gabriella fired back, obviously accepting the challenge. They both put more force into their swing so they would go higher. When they both reached the maximum height they could swing to, Troy spoke.

"Jump on the count of three. One… Two… three!" Troy and Gabriella launched themselves off of the swings and went catapulting through the air.

--

--

"I wonder what they're talking about…" Kelsi wondered after Gabriella left 20 minutes ago.

"I wonder if he has his tongue down her throat…." Sharpay had said at the exact same time Kelsi talked.

Kelsi glanced at Sharpay. "Damn girl. You need a boyfriend, all you think about is making out and stuff like that!"

Sharpay waved a hand. "Boyfriends are too high maintenance."

Kelsi shook her head and turned on the radio, hoping Gabriella would come back soon so she could stop wondering.

--

--

"I so beat you!" Gabriella taunted from the ground. She and Troy had both landed with too much force and weren't able to stay on their feet when they connected with the mulch.

"Not a chance. I say we tied." Troy fought back.

"I don't fake ties when I was the real winner." Gabriella teased. "You can admit it; it won't damage your manliness too much." She heard Troy huff from his spot on the ground about and arms length away from her. "I already have beaten you up, so this can't be too much worse."

"You think you're something, don't ya?" Troy said and scooted his body so he was right beside Gabriella, but was still lying down on the earth.

"I know I am, Mr. Bolton." Gabriella said once she caught her breath again. She had forgotten how to breathe when he scooted himself closer to her. He smelled amazing and it was hypnotizing.

What Sharpay had said back at Kelsi's house rang back in her mind. _Could I really actually like Troy…? _Gabriella asked herself in her head, _The bigger question is, could he actually like me? That I doubt._

Troy sighed and folded his hands under his head. His brilliant blue eyes searched the stars. "Why did you ask me to come here?" Gabriella asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Truthfully?" Troy asked in a soft voice, a voice Gabriella had never heard him use before.

"I always want you to tell me the truth when you talk to me Troy." Gabriella pointed out. She was starting to think that his answer was going to be something little to him by the voice he was using. **(I know y'all have heard that before. Like if someone talks about or admits something that is a big deal to them, their voice gives it away. It's hard to out into words but I think you guys know what I mean) **

"I was lonely and wanted someone to talk to…" Troy spilled. He couldn't believe that he was actually telling her this.

Gabriella snuggled into Troy's side, sensing that he needed some comfort. "Don't you have your parents?" Gabriella asked and tilted her head up to look in his eyes when he answered her.

A look of hurt shone suddenly in his eyes. "No… But, its nothing you should concern yourself with." He meant it, if she knew it; she would feel pity for him. And that was the thing he hated most. No one should feel pity for him; he could take care of himself.

He looked down and saw that she was looking directly at him. Removing one of his hands from behind his head he wove that arm behind her head so she was using it as a pillow. The entire time they never broke their eye contact. A smile crossed his face and he leaned down to capture her lips.

Gabriella closed her eyes into the kiss. This kiss wasn't rushed or forceful or demanding. This kiss was sweet and gentle. _Wait… sweet and gentle? _Gabriella questioned in her head. This was _Troy Bolton _she was kissing, not some kind boy that was teachers pet and was overly polite. His tongue prodded between her lips, asking for an entrance instead of demanding one. She granted him access.

Gabriella felt his hand move to her cheek and his thumb stroke her cheek gently. When the need for oxygen became absolutely necessary, they pulled away but kept their eyes locked. "Gabriella…?" He spoke so softly Gabriella barely hear him over her own thoughts. _Maybe Troy really did like her…_

**A/N: Sorry, but I thought this would be a good place to leave off so you guys would want me to update so you would review more!! Review guys, the more reviews, the more chapters!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Oh… My… God!! Y'all did it! I got reviews! So, now I have to write, write, write! Here is Chapter 10 and 11 and 12 and 13! Sorry it took a while but I really tried to write these fast but I am writing the story as I go, so I had to think of what to write.**

**Chapter 10**

--

Gabriella felt his hand move to her cheek and his thumb stroke her cheek gently. When the need for oxygen became absolutely necessary, they pulled away but kept their eyes locked. "Gabriella…?" He spoke so softly Gabriella barely hear him over her own thoughts. _Maybe Troy really did like her…_

--

--

"Yeah?" Gabriella responded, still partly in a daze from the kiss the had just shared. Gabriella looked straight into his eyes, but found that he still had them closed form the kiss.

"I'm really not that bad. I can promise you that." He stated, his eyes staying shut.

Gabriella leaned up and placed a soft kiss on his lips and he opened his eyes. "I think I've already known that…" She whispered, their heads still close.

Troy set his forehead against hers. "It's just… It's a long story." Troy sighed before continuing, "I promise I'm not as bad as people think I am." He said again.

He really didn't know the entire reason why he was so worried that Gabriella might believe everyone else and think that he was some horrible guy. Maybe, just maybe, he did like her as more than a friend. The only thing was, how could she feel the same way?

"Troy, I know you're not as bad as people say you are. Truthfully, I don't think you're 'bad' at all. I just think you're misunderstood." Gabriella explained. Now she was just hoping that Troy wasn't going to get angry by what she said.

"Wow." Troy mused and smiled at her with his charming smile that could make any girl melt. "I think you hit the bulls eye on that one." Gabriella smiled back at him. "But you have some things misunderstood about you too, Gabriella."

"What things might you be talking about, Mr. Bolton?" Gabriella asked as she shifted her body so her chin was resting on his chest. She put one of her arms around his waist to hold him closer to her.

"That you are this perfect little straight A student who doesn't meet guys in the middle of the night." Troy joked. A smug smirk spread across his face.

"So you don't want me to meet guys in the middle of the night?" Gabriella said, a smirk on her face too. She could have fun with this.

"No." Troy said in a fake father voice, "You should not go meet guys in the middle of the night."

"Okay." Gabriella said before moving to stand up. "I guess I should go home then." She was now on her knees in her quest to stand up.

Troy reached out his arm and pulled her back down to where she landed on top of him, her back to his chest. Troy put a hand on each side of her hips to spin her around so she was directly on top of him with their fronts touching. Still having his hold on her hips, he crashed his lips to hers.

This set of kisses was not like the previous one. Once again, it was not rushed, but it wasn't gentle either. It was hungry and hard, but not quite forceful. Gabriella buried her hand in his brown hair and fought his tongue for dominance. Troy's hands also moved. His hands that were once innocently on her waist, were now sliding down to her ass ever so slowly.

Gabriella straddled his waist and slid her hand that was not in his hair between their two bodies to rest on his chest. Troy's hands were now cupping her ass in an effort to keep her as close to him as possible. Knowing how to turn Troy on even more, Gabriella grinded her hips down onto his groin area, creating much loved friction between their two bodies.

A strangled moan escaped Troy's lips at the friction, and he squeezed her ass slightly. "God, Gabriella." Troy managed to speak. He abandoned her ass and moved his hands back to her hips. In one swift motion, Troy swapped their positions so Gabriella was the one with her back pressed up against the earth. Gabriella and Troy broke apart for oxygen, but Troy just went straight to placing open-mouthed kisses along her neck.

"No…marks…" Gabriella said as she was still trying to catch her breath. Troy rubbed one of his hands that were on her waist so Gabriella knew that he heard. If there were hickeys, Chad would be even more infuriated. Gabriella hated the fact that Taylor and Chad were ignoring her and avoiding her like the plague. She knew she would have to fix the rough patch soon, but right now she was with Troy. Chad could wait until tomorrow.

Troy stopped placing kisses along her neck to catch his breath. He wasn't ready to be without contact of Gabriella so he caught his breath in the crook of her neck. He moved his hands that were placed on her hips up, bringing her shirt up with them. Gabriella suddenly trembled, and Troy felt it. She was getting nervous. "I promised you I'm not bad…" Troy whispered against her neck.

He moved the red shirt along with her black undershirt up to just below her belly button. Then, he moved his hands back down to their previous place at her hips. He rubbed his thumbs in circles along her stomach in a soothing manner. "I know, Troy." Gabriella replied to his earlier reminder. The two teens layed in that same position for a few minutes, both of them basking in the others presence.

"Troy…" Gabriella said softly and ran her hand through his hair.

"Hmm?" Came is reply.

"Kelsi and Sharpay are waiting for me in the car. I should probably go back. Troy rolled off of her and onto the ground beside her.

"Right." He said then got up to stand. Once his feet were firmly planted on the ground, he extended his hands to Gabriella. She grabbed both of his hands and allowed him to pull her up.

"Can I see you again tomorrow?" Troy asked, his eyes locking with hers.

At that moment she was sure, math wiz and all, that if someone shouted out a simple multiplication fact, she wouldn't be able to answer it correctly, because she was lost in his eyes. It took her a second to realize that he had asked her a question. "I don't know. Maybe." Gabriella shrugged.

"I would love it if I did." Troy said and smiled a smile that could have stretched all the way to China AND won the award for Best Smile of the Century. Gabriella couldn't help but smile back.

"I'll try to make sure of that." Gabriella said, not letting go of his hands.

Troy pulled his hands to his sides but didn't let go of Gabriella's so she smashed right against him. Gabriella giggled. Troy kissed her on the lips softly, now fully aware that Gabriella's laugh was his favorite sound and was music to his ears.

"You do know that you are going to have to let me leave, right?" Gabriella teased, just causing him to kiss her once again.

"Yes." Troy answered and stroked his thumbs on her hands. "But I don't wanna!" Troy added in a whining voice, sounding like a five year old whining to his mother about going to school.

"Well, I guess we both have to do something we don't like. It's not like I want to leave right now either." Gabriella sighed and untangled her right hand from his much larger one. She placed her hand on the side of his face and they both leaned in for one last parting kiss.

This kiss was another one of those soft and gentle Troy kisses that Gabriella was falling in love with. After a few seconds they parted reluctantly. "Talk to you later, Wildcat." The new nickname for Troy rolled out and Troy caught it.

"Wildcat?" Troy questioned.

"What? Do you prefer kitty-kitty?" Gabriella taunted with a smile. Troy grinned back

"No. Wildcat is just fine." Troy nodded and placed his hand on top of her hand that was still on the side of his face. "Kelsi and Sharpay are waiting for you…" Troy reminded Gabriella.

"Yeah…" The last thing Gabriella wanted to do was leave, but she know she had to walk away from Troy sometime. "Bye, kitty-kitty." Gabriella giggled before unlacing her left hand from Troy's and walking towards the car that held her two best friends that couldn't wait to hear what had happened.

**A/N: This one is a little short but this was a really good place to end it. The next chapter will have a lot of humor I think, so it will make up for all the cheesy-ness that was in this chapter. Chapter 11 will be up in a few hours, but in the meantime, tell me your thoughts on The One And Only Hottness That Happens To Be Named Troy Bolton!! I want to hear what you guys think about him in this chapter. Troyella wont be official until a few more Chapters so be patient.**

**If any of y'all have read my one shots, THNAK YOU! And, my one-shot called Hot has gotten a few reviews that said you guys wanted me to continue it… SO… I am going to make it into a three-shot. Once I finish Chapter 11 and 12 of Beat Up By A Girl, I will start on that and do Chapter 5 of She Don't Want The World.**

**Shout-out to crazyinluv305! You are amazing big sis!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here ya go. The third one I promised will be out later tonight or tomorrow. They are back-to-back though.**

**Surprisingly, I have nothing else to say except for I just bought about 2,000 jelly beans :), so I must make myself write this chapter…**

**Disclaimer: I have been forgetting these lately… Anyway, I do not own anything except for the plot and anything I make up. My mission has not yet been accomplished, therefore I do not own Zac Efron… yet.**

**Chapter 12**

--

--

"Was he shirtless?"

"Was he there when you got there?"

"How long was his tongue down your throat?"

"Did he say anything sweet?"

"Why did he want you to meet him?"

"Did you guys have sex at the park?"

"Whoah, whoah, whoah!" Gabriella held her hands up at the last question the girls fired at her. She almost knew for sure that Sharpay was the one who asked. "We aren't even together! I am not having sex with Troy!" Gabriella answered.

"Yet…." Sharpay mumbled.

Gabriella acted like she didn't hear her. The exact moment Gabriella sat her butt in the passenger seat, questions went off like a rocket. When Gabriella shut the car door, Sharpay and Kelsi had each asked a question or two. They were launching the questions at her so fast, she couldn't understand half of them, nonetheless answered them.

"Just start driving Shar!" Gabriella exclaimed. The blonde had been too preoccupied with asking her questions to start the car and head back to Kelsi's house.

"But you do know that you aren't going to get away without telling me right?" Sharpay said, about to turn the key.

"Yes Sharpay…" Gabriella mumbled and leaned her head against the black leather seat, still in a state of bliss from her meeting with Troy.

--

--

"That's all?" Sharpay asked once Gabriella finished telling Kelsi and Sharpay what had happened at the park. Of course Gabriella did not share any of the secrets he had told her, but she did tell the girls that he told her some secrets. Kelsi respected the fact that he only told the secret to Gabriella and it was meant for her only, while Sharpay was going even more nuts since she didn't know one of the many secrets about Troy.

"Yep." Gabriella answered.

"Can we go watch a movie? I want to see if we can pull an all-night-er!" Kelsi said enthusiastically.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Gabriella said and jumped off of Kelsi's bed where she was relaying the story of her meeting with Troy in great detail.

The trio of girls walked into the living room and Kelsi opened one of the mahogany cabinets of the entertainment center that supported the television. "Hmm…" Kelsi mused while roaming her eyes along the collection of DVDs. "What kind of movie are you guys in the mood for?"

"How 'bout a romantic comedy?" Sharpay suggested while she and Gabriella fetched three blankets out of the hall closet.

"Those are always good." Gabriella agreed.

"Okay… Fool's Gold?" Kelsi asked and pulled it out and held it up so the girls could see it.

"Yeah." Gabriella and Sharpay chorused.

Kelsi popped in the DVD and then plopped herself onto the loveseat with her own blanket and the remote.

Gabriella and Sharpay camped out on the big couch as they watched the movie. About ten minutes after the movie actually started, Sharpay spoke over the actors on screen. "Gabs, will you go pop some popcorn?"

"Sure." Gabriella answered. She really didn't mind. She couldn't sit down any longer.

Troy was on her mind and she couldn't get him to leave her head alone.

--

--

About half-way through the movie, Gabriella was the only one awake. Gabriella pushed herself off of the couch to turn the TV off. 2:15 in the morning, **(A/N: that's what time it is right now as I am writing this chapter (: ) **and she felt like it was 8'oclock at night. How was she ever going to get to sleep?

Her feet could be heard as Gabriella padded to Kelsi's room to grab her gray hoodie. After she slipped it over her head, she walked back into the living room.

Gabriella used a pen that was in a little cup with several others to write a note to Kelsi and Sharpay just in case they woke up and noticed she wasn't there.

_Gone to clear my head. No worries, I have my cell phone. Call if you must._

_Be back soon._

_Gabs_

Gabriella double checked to make sure that her cell phone was indeed in the pocket for your hands in her hoodie before walking through the kitchen and out of the back sliding glass door to Kelsi's house. Gabriella took maybe three steps out into the chilly night air before her legs shivered. Her pajama bottoms created no protection against the cool breeze. She turned around and walked back into Kelsi's house.

Passing Kelsi who was still knocked out on the love seat, Gabriella made her way over to the big couch. She grabbed the blanket that she had wrapped around herself prior to getting up, and wrapped it around her shoulders. The blanket was big enough that it just barely didn't touch the floor so it covered her legs so she wouldn't turn into a popsicle once she walked out the back door.

Sliding the glass door back shut, Gabriella sighed once she was out in the open and fresh air. Gabriella was very much and outdoor girl. It seemed like every thing horrible that had happened in her life, had happened indoors. And the happiest moment of Gabriella's life had happened out doors. It seemed as if every time she walked outside her mind drifted back to that day.

"_Ooh! Look at that one!" a ten year old Gabriella pointed out to her mother that was beside her._

_Gabriella and her mother were outside on a spring night. Ms Montez had brought out a blanket and set it down on the cool, green earth and both girls layed back onto the blanket. Currently, both the Montez' were pointing out stars._

"_Can you see the big dipper?" Gabriella's mother asked her daughter that looked exactly like her when she was her age. Looks wise, Gabriella was exactly identical to her mother, but in the area of personality, Gabriella was much like her father._

"_Is that it?" Gabriella asked her mom as she raised her hand to point into the clear night sky. Gabriella was extremely close to her mother now. She had been a daddy's girl, but her mom needed her when her father passed away and Gabriella needed her mother too so they became closer than ever._

"_Yeah. Good job, Gabi." Ms Montez praised her daughter._

_This was such a simple night, but it was the happiest moment of Gabriella's life thus far for many reasons._

_One, it reminded her of her father. Her father always had had a love of stargazing, and she felt as if she was looking up into heaven herself and seeing her father's handsome face whenever she looked into the night sky._

_Two, it was entirely given my nature and simple. Gabriella had never been a hard to please or high maintenance girl. Nature was the most beautiful thing to her and basking in its beauty was such a peaceful thing._

_Three, it was quality time with her mom. Her mom had been very much down in the dumps after her father's death. Now, it felt as if her father was still alive. It felt as if he was lying down right next to her mother as he always did each night they looked up into the midnight sky with its own nightlights. _

A single tear rolling down Gabriella's face brought her back to reality. Her father… words couldn't even describe him and the bond that was between Gabriella and Mr. Montez. When Gabriella was only eight and a half, her father, Nicolas Montez, was diagnosed with stage three bone cancer. Nicolas hung onto life until two days after Gabriella's birthday and _on_ her mom's birthday. Gabriella and her mom both knew that he accomplished what he wanted. He had hung onto his last thread of life so he could see his only daughter turn nine and see his loving wife's birthday.

Gabriella felt an unintentional sigh escape her mouth. She clutched the blanket around her even tighter and walked over to the center of Kelsi's backyard. Gabriella had originally planned to walk around Kelsi's block and that is why she left the note in the house, but now she had a new idea.

Gabriella fanned her blanket out on the grass. She was extremely thankful for the blankets size now, because she could lay on the left side of the blanket and fold the right side of the blanket over her body so she wouldn't be so cold. Shifting her eyes up to the sky above her, Gabriella gazed at the stars much like she did seven years ago with her mother.

There it was. That feeling. She felt as if the sky became transparent or something because she once again felt as if she could see right up to heaven and see her father's face. A smile stretched itself across Gabriella's features.

Gabriella looked around her searching for a certain constellation.

The big dipper.

**A/N: Personally, I thought that my readers didn't really know that much about Gabriella, so there you go. I loved it. I thought it was one of the most adorable thing I have ever written, but that is just what I think. Please review and I will have Chapter 12 out tomorrow hopefully.**

**Shout-out to crazyinluv305 THANK YOU FOR NOT DISOWNING ME! :) :) :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here ya go guys. Sorry for the way late update, but truth is, I have had no time since school started so I am writing this now. Stupid school, getting in the way of my writing. **

**Chapter 12**

Gabriella shut her bedroom door and had tried her hardest not to slam with such force that it shook the house. How could he be so mean? She went to him to apologize and he just acts like she initiated World War III! Gabriella threw her bag from spending the night at Kelsi's on her bed and walked over to her computer. She sat down in the black chair and turned it on but the tears that were stinging the back of her eyelids seeped out. With a sigh, Gabriella got back up shortly after the computer was started up. She walked into her in-suite bathroom. She needed to wash away the evidence of tears on her face before her parents or Chad saw her.

Once she undressed and stepped into the hot shower, all her problems erased for a second. That second was short lived though. Soon her thoughts went to Troy Bolton. He was the reason for all of this-for all of this stress- so why did she want to kiss him over and over again when she should really want to scream at him and slap him across the face.

That she didn't even know the answer to.

_Gabriella sighed as she saw Chad sitting on the couch watching TV. Chad turned his head to look at who came in the door and his expression changed drastically. His dark brown eyes turned coal black and glared at her._

"_Chad? Um… can I talk to you real quick?" Gabriella asked hesitantly. _

"_I'm right here aren't I?" Chad said coldly._

"_Yeah, I guess. Umm…I'm sorry. I think I know why you are ignoring me, and it really isn't what you think." Gabriella was a bout to continue when Chad spoke up._

"_Troy Bolton. Out of all the guys you had to get involved with Troy fucking Bolton." Chad said through gritted teeth. Gabriella almost ran off right then; Chad never used the 'f' word. He was ignoring her for the entire thing with Troy. Kelsi was right._

"_Chad, I know you two have so kind of rivalry-" Chad cut her off once again._

"_Rivalry? That what you think it is?" Chad let out a spiteful laugh that almost made Gabriella curl back. "I fucking hate him! He uses everybody and always gets what he wants!"_

"_Chad-" Gabriella tried to stop his rant. She could see that his face was turning red from anger and wanted to stop him from getting even more out of line._

"_He wants you! Just because I am you __**step**__-brother, he has to have you. That is the only reason he is even talking to you Gabriella! He is using you! Just like he does everyone else!" Chad accused in a roaring voice._

_Gabriella felt tears sting the back of her eyelids. He never said 'step-brother' before. And now, when she was really thinking that she actually liked Troy, Chad goes and accuses him of using her! _

"_How could you even-" Chad continued but Gabriella cut him off this time._

"_No Chad! Troy is amazing! You have no right to judge him like that!" Gabriella fired. She really didn't even think about it. She wasn't even positive that she liked him, and she was already defending him._

"_You like him?" Chad caught on to her defending Troy, "You __**like**__ him!" Chad concluded, seeing the look on her face, "He just using you Gabriella! Don't come crying to me when you find out how right I am and you are left heartbroken!" Chad stormed off into the kitchen and Gabriella couldn't follow him, because if she did, he would see how much his words hurt her._

Gabriella couldn't control the quiet sobs that shook her body as the water ran over her tan skin. She was hoping with her heart and soul that Chad would forgive her, and that he was wrong. Wrong. There would be no heartbreak, and Troy wasn't using her.

She wouldn't believe it.

Gabriella stepped out of the shower and wrapped a white towel around her that would cover her upper body and fell to the top of her thighs. She walked out of the bathroom and was in her bedroom. Padding over to her dresser, she retrieved a teal tank top and a pair of black boy shorts. Gabriella glanced around her room and noticed that the curtains to her balcony were still open so she walked over and shut the tan fabric in case anyone happened to be looking into her room.

Gabriella let the towel drop from her body and slipped on her tank top. She then slipped on her underwear and started to put her black shorts on. One leg through the black fabric, her computer dinged. Gabriella nearly jumped out of her skin! One moment she was in the midst of putting on her shorts, and the next, she was on her cream colored carpet and was guessing that she had a rug-burn on her back.

Gabriella grumbled to herself before getting back to her feet and pulling her shorts up all the way. Her computer dinged again. Luckily, she only jumped this time and didn't get a second rug burn—or any other injury for that matter. She walked over to the computer and sat in the comfy chair once again, but this time her thoughts were clear.

For that exact moment anyway.

On her computer screen a window had appeared, and in that window was the writing of the insanely good looking teen that had been clouding her thoughts. All Chad related thoughts exited her mind like they had never fought less than just a half hour ago.

**Screamingmyname14: **Hey, Gabriella.

**Screamingmyname14: **Haha. Don't have much coordination, now do you?

Gabriella was instantly confused. How did he always know what she was doing? And why had he asked what color her bedroom walls were a few days ago? Or how many days ago was that? Since she had been talking to Troy, the days seemed extremely long, yet oddly short at the same time. If that made any sense at all.

Troy was seriously messing with her head.

Getting her train of thought back on the right tracks, she typed out her questions.

**Ikickyoass24: **Wtf? Do you have like hidden cameras in my room or something? Stalker!

**Screamingmyname14: **Wow. You can make some pretty far out assumptions. No I am not a stalker, nor do I have hidden cameras in you bedroom.

**Ikickyoass24: **Just answer how you know what I am always doing. And answer why you needed to know what color my walls were a few days ago.

Gabriella didn't have enough patience to deal with his joking or anything similar to that. She just wanted an answer—and she wanted to take a nap.

**Screamingmyname14: **Well, I needed the color of your bedroom walls to make sure I was correct.

Gabriella huffed to her self. She typed her reply as fast as her fingers would brush across the keys without errors.

**Ikickyoass24: **Correct about what? I'm not in the mood to have you teasing me. Not in the mood at all.

**Screamingmyname14: **Well, Sorry!

**Ikickyoass24: **Just tell me already!!

**Screamingmyname14: **I'm your neighbor.

Gabriella felt her jaw drop and she could have sworn it banged against the desk and could have stretched to the floor.

**Ikickyoass24: **Are you serious?!

**Screamingmyname14: **Completely. Go out on your balcony.

**Screamingmyname14 has signed off.**

Gabriella's face contorted into an even greater look of confusion. Nonetheless, Gabriella got out of her chair and walked over to her balcony doors. The doors were a pair of French doors with white wood. She had a curtain rod above them so she could pull the tan curtains over the doors at night when her lights were on so no one could see into her room, or when she just felt like not having sunlight in her room when she woke up in the morning. Most of the time she had the curtains open because of her love for the outdoors, but she had drawn the curtains shut when she was getting dressed (and falling) so she opened the curtains and the door before stepping out onto her balcony.

When Gabriella felt the chilly air hit her skin, she shivered. Ignoring the goose bumps on her skin, she looked out. The house beside hers was almost exactly the same as her own house. It was red brick, medium sized, each house had a balcony on the right side of the house, and had a back yard and front porch. Her house was just a tad bigger. But at this moment, she wasn't concentrating on the house. Her eyes were glued to the blue eyed, brown haired, teen with his arms on the window sill and the window open who was staring right back at her.

**A/N: Hopefully you could picture the last few paragraphs in your head. That was my goal. And just to tell all of you guys, I am going to focus on writing a one shot at the moment. I really want to write two one shots. One for Twilight (Bella and Edward) and one for The Host (A Stephanie Meyer book that is also insanely good). If any of y'all guys think you would read it if I wrote those one shots, please leave it in a review. I wouldn't want to take time away from Beat Up By A Girl and She Don't Want The World if no one is going to read my one shots.**

**Review! Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here you go my lovely internet persons! Sorry for the wait, but school is time-consuming even though I bet I could do all the stuff that consumes 8 hours in school, in maybe 2 hours at home.**

**Chapter 13**

"No… Friggin… Way…" Gabriella mumbled, her eyes never leaving the boy in the window of the house across from her.

"Still too goody-goody to say the 'f' word?" Troy said, smirking.

"Shut-up, Troy." Gabriella fake glared at him, "You are really my neighbor, huh?"

"No, I just broke into this house, turned off the alarm before it could ring once, ran upstairs, hacked into their computer to waste time on IM, then sat in their window until you came out your balcony." Troy joked.

"That's impressive." Gabriella smiled, going along with his joke.

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow!!" Troy groaned out of the blue. Troy threw his head back for dramatic effect but still kept his arms crossed on the window sill.

"Same here, dude. Why do you not want to go to the hell hole more than normal?"

Troy mentally fought with himself. He could tell Gabriella the real reason he knew school was going to be a bitch the next day, or he could always lie. But this was Gabriella, and oddly, he found himself never wanting to lie to her. "Because I won't be able to be near you…" Troy started, looking down at his hands. He started playing with his fingers and when Gabriella didn't respond to what he had just confessed, he continued. "I wont be able to kiss you, hold you, talk to you, anything. And then Chad will kill me if I do…"

Gabriella felt her cheeks burn and her ears catch on fire. Was Troy really just proclaiming that he actually liked her in a lot of words? "Troy…"

Troy snapped his head up in a fraction of a second. His eyes immediately found her chocolate eyes that were filled with an emotion that he couldn't quite place, all he knew what that it stretched for miles in the chocolate depths. Gabriella smiled a small smile then walked to the far corner of her balcony. She flung her legs over the white wooden rail and grasped the braches of the humongous tree. Swinging her body forward, she let her body come off the railing, but kept her hold on the branches. Once her legs got close to the trunk of the oak tree, she wrapped her legs around it.

Gabriella held onto the trunk of the tree tightly and let go of the branches her fingers curled onto. She moved her hands from the branches to the trunk of the oak, about a foot above her hands. Being careful not to scrape her legs on the rough bark since she was still wearing the black boy short, Gabriella shimmied down the trunk of the tree. When she was close enough to the ground to push off, she did.

Gabriella's toes curled once her bare feet hit the cold and wet grass. She went to walk across the terrain until she was under Troy's window, but Troy was already at her level.

"How did you get down here?" Gabriella wondered aloud. He didn't have a balcony or a tree, just a window on the second story. How on earth did he get down without his legs breaking?

Troy let a small smirk fall onto his lips. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Gabriella smiled and reached a hand up to brush an ebony curl that fell into her face behind her ear. She felt a rough hand wrap around her wrist right before she had the chance to push the intruding curl. Gabriella's eyes followed the hand all the way up to the arm and locked her own eyes with Troy's.

"Do you have any idea of how cute you are?" Troy whispered in the night.

Gabriella blushed a deep scarlet. A smile spread across her face along with the embarrassing blush.

Troy let his hand off of Gabriella's wrist and slid his hand up to her shoulder while he brought his other hand to rest on her hip. He looked directly into her eyes and Gabriella had to hold back a gasp. His eyes weren't like they normally were. If it was even possible they were even more beautiful at this moment. His eyes were a deep almost navy blue.

Gabriella's hand that was on the side that Troy was holing her shoulder on, found it's way to cup his face on it's own accord. Time seemed to slow, as if they were the only two people on the entire earth and as if their movements were at a snail's pace. Their lips gravitated towards each other, pulled by an invisible force.

Their lips fused together and moved with one another. It was as if there was a law that they couldn't pull away from one another. Troy's hand slipped from her waist to her lower back, so he could pull her even closer to his own body (if that was even possible).

When the need for oxygen became absolutely unbearable, their lips separated. Even though their lips were not touching, their eyes stayed locked together. Troy rested his forehead against hers. "You have no clue how much I loved that."

"Actually, I think I do." Gabriella answered. She had loved it too. It was as if she finally had her dad back, as if nothing else was wrong, as if everything was how it should be and nothing could mess it up.

"No. You really don't." Troy answered in a determined voice, causing Gabriella's eyebrows to knit together. How could she not? She felt the same way!

"Huh?" Gabriella stumbled. She didn't understand.

"You really don't know how much I loved that. How much I _felt._" Troy broke the lock between their eyes and looked down. "How much I finally _felt_." Troy let his arms slide off of her body and fall back at his sides.

"Troy…" Gabriella whispered. Troy brought his eyes up and looked at her with a burning gaze. His eyes weren't that deep navy anymore. It was as if they had been turned almost white with his change in attitude.

Troy kept his eyes connected with hers, but didn't speak. Gabriella took this as her cue to continue. "I don't know what you are talking about, and I would like for you to enlighten me on the subject."

"You and everyone else." Troy mumbled. His eyes found the ground again and he continued to look at the green blades of grass and he stayed like that for a immeasurable while. They were both in deep thought. Gabriella was still trying to figure out what he meant by his words and Troy was having an inner battle with himself on the subject of how much he should or shouldn't tell her.

If he told her, she could tell everyone else, and ruin his life even further in the progress.

"When we kiss like that, my life isn't as horrible as it normally is, my heart isn't as damaged as it normally is, and my past evaporates." Troy said quietly to the ground, but Gabriella picked up every word.

Afraid to see the look on Gabriella's face, Troy kept his eyes on the grass. The grass couldn't hurt him.

Gabriella couldn't utter a word. She was more confused as before. She heard grass crunch and noticed Troy's retreating figure. He walked right around the house, and into the front door.

--

--

Gabriella ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. She had woken up late, so late, that she didn't even see a sliver of Chad's figure—not that he wanted her to anyway. She flung open the pantry door and grabbed a granola bar. When you wake up as late as she just did, breakfast wasn't a necessity. After slipping on her black ballerina flats, she was out the door and speeding down the road in her red automobile.

Gabriella darted through the halls, only stopping at her locker for less than two seconds. She arrived at her homeroom in record time. The moment Gabriella was seated in her chair, the tardy bell rang. _At least I made it. _Gabriella thought.

--

--

Gabriella was switching out her books and binders at her locker after second period when Troy walked by. Her eyes left the inside of her locker and followed his body as he walked down the hall. As if he had felt her eyes on him, he turned his head to look at him. One of Troy's eyelids hid his beautiful blue eyes in the form of a wink. Gabriella could feel the fire burn into her cheeks as if someone was suspending her above a campfire.

Troy continued walking down the hall and when he left Gabriella's view, she snapped out of her gaze and grabbed her books. Her next period was in another building so she had to walk out of the main entrance and to the next building.

Once arriving at her third period class, she had to strain to look and pay attention to the teacher. Troy was clouding all of her thoughts. The class seemed to drag on forever and when the bell rang, she was one of the first out the door. She walked out of the second building and headed back towards the main entrance. Third period was the only period she had in the second building.

Gabriella lost her footing, causing one of her books to slip out of her grasp. She bent down to pick it up, then placed it back in her arms. When she looked up to make sure she wasn't about to run straight into someone, a large red banner with white letters caught her eye. It was huge and the print was clearly readable, but she was in such a hurry she didn't see it when she sprinted into the school.

The sign read: "Homecoming Dance Friday"

_Oh shit._

**A/N: Hey guys, this idea for the end just kinda popped into my head, because my homecoming dance was two days ago. It was awesome by the way. I got to dance with the dude I am secretly in love with! Please review, the more reviews, the faster I write the next chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Wow. I seriously can't believe it! You guys actually read authors notes!!! –laughs- Thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews and comments. Please review upon this one too! Please look at the author's note at the end of this chapter too, guys!**

**-----**

**Chapter 14**

At lunch, Gabriella was awkwardly silent and Kelsey and Sharpay picked up on it. "Come on Gabborino! You haven't even got in the conversation once!" Kelsey punctuated her accusation with a slap to the table.

"Sorry girls, I was lost in thought." Gabriella mumbled. "So what were you guys talking about?"

Kelsey and Sharpay rolled their eyes in unison. "We were talking about homecoming, Gabs." Sharpay answered.

"You mean, you were rambling on and on about how pinch-able Zeke's ass was, so you wanted to ask him to homecoming." Kelsi told Sharpay, causing all of the girls to start giggling and for Sharpay's cheeks to bring on a pink tint.

"Hey! I'm not the only one who checks out guys' asses!" Sharpay defended herself. When neither Gabriella nor Kelsey agreed with the blonde, she continued. "Gabriella loves Troy's ass! She probably has even tried to grab it when he was not looking!"

This time it was Gabriella's cheeks that started to blush. "And she doesn't even deny it!" Sharpay directed her teasing towards Gabriella.

Kelsey had to get her two cents in against Gabriella, "_When_ you do grab his ass, tell us everything!" Kelsey had to pause to laugh, "OOOH! You have to grab it when he is least expecting it! Then maybe he will squeal like a little girl!"

"Can we please get off the subject of Troy's ass?" Gabriella mumbled, but Sharpay nor did Kelsey pay her any attention. Gabriella let her head fall into her hands as her friends kept rambling on and on, on the subject of dudes' asses.

--

--

Gabriella chucked her backpack into her locker with enough force to bend the metal backing. She couldn't believe it. _Homecoming Dance? _Was the world seriously out to get her? It was almost as if she expected little ninja monkeys to pop out of the corner with rifles and laser beams ready to take her to an interrogation at the White House. _Whoah, over-active imagination kicking in._

Gabriella walked with the throng of people until she was in the fresh air of the front school yard. Everyone that was heading towards the buses went to the left, but she went to the right since she had her own car. When she got to the little red convertible, she wasn't surprised at whom she saw leaning against the hood in an incredibly sexy manner.

--

--

Chad repeated Gabriella's actions almost identically. He would have to check and make sure his school books weren't bend and broken in the morning, except him Geometry book he could care less about. Shutting his locker with a loud slam, he walked out of the school building. He turned to the right to head towards Gabriella's car.

He would rather ride with his sister who he was angry with then ride the stinky old bus.

As he walked along the gray sidewalk, he kept his eyes focused on his feet. Maybe he shouldn't be so pissed off at Gabriella. All she did was fall for the wrong guy. Everyone does at one point or another in their teenage life. Guys fell for the wrong girl, and girls fell for the wrong guy, it was just how it all worked. Then the teen would learn from their bad decision and they wouldn't do it again. Hopefully.

--

--

Troy propped himself up against the hood of Gabriella's red car, waiting for her to grace him with her presence. When the brunette beauty shot him a questioning glance once he was in her view, he beckoned her over with a finger. Gabriella picked up her speed and jogged to his side. She didn't want to make matters worse with Chad.

"To what do I owe this pleasure of talking to you?" Gabriella joked when she reached her car.

"It's the other way around, Miss Montez." Troy smirked back, "Actually I really needed to ask you a valuable question."

_Oh no! He's gonna ask me to the Homecoming Dance! I can't! I have to make everything alright with Chad before I go behind his back again. Wait, no. I __**won't **__go behind his back again. If I'm just trying to find out Troy's dirty little secret, then it isn't worth loosing Chad again. _Gabriella hoped the worry wasn't showing through on her facial features. "What is the question that is so important that you couldn't wait to tell me tomorrow?" she forced out.

"Don't worry too much. I know what you're thinking." Troy assured her of her worst fears.

"What _am_ I thinking?" Gabriella wanted to male sure they were on the same page before she blurted everything out.

"That I'm going to ask you to Homecoming, in turn, piss Chad off." Troy was right on the mark this time.

"Yeah." Gabriella shifted her gaze to the concrete. "I'm sorry but I can't take having Chad mad at me again."

Troy lifted her chin up with a finger so she was looking him in the eyes again. "Don't be sorry." A reassuring smile crossed his handsome face. "I know you are not the biggest fan of dances either."

Gabriella laughed quietly. Troy knew almost _too _much about her. Maybe she should keep her mouth shut before he figured out exactly what she was up to.

"But can I still reserve you for that night?" Troy asked.

"For what?" Why on earth would Troy still want to hang out with her after she just said that she didn't want to be seen in public with him in a couple way? Maybe he didn't catch it all.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." was his reply along with a wink that made Gabriella's toned legs go weak.

--

--

Chad stopped dead in his track. There was the monster again. Troy had his finger under Gabriella's chin and made her laugh. Chad could almost feel a green film cover his eyes. He wasn't jealous because he liked Gabriella as more than a friend or anything, but because that prick got to spend time with her. He made her giggle. He talked to her constantly. He made her smile. He was _with _her. That's what Chad should be doing. He was failing the role of big brother. He was failing his family.

Chad was too busy being angry with Gabriella because she was falling for his rival. He was being _shallow._

Wait, no he wasn't failing. Big brothers protected their sisters from the wrong guys, right?

Closing his fists tightly, he walked towards his love struck sister.

--

--

"Message me later?" Troy asked as he saw Chad approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"Of course." Gabriella answered. Troy pecked her cheek sweetly before turning around and walking off. A sigh escaped her lips as she opened her car door.

"Hey." A strangled voice said.

"Hey, Chad." Gabriella answered. _Crap, this was going to be awkward._

Chad slipped into the passenger seat and Gabriella did the same. Gabriella started up the car and exited the high school to drive home. Both were silent until Chad worked up the courage to speak.

"Gabs?" Chad asked attentively.

"Yeah?" Gabriella answered. She took her eyes of the road for a split second to see Chad with his hands still balled into fists and looking at his shoes.

"Once I tell you this, do you promise not to get mad?" Chad asked, preparing her for what was to come.

**A/N: Sorry for lateness but I have a few things going on. How about we make a deal? You guys review and I will post a chapter every Monday? I'll try to get one up this Monday, but with Thanksgiving that might be a little hard. There will defiantly be one up next Monday though, guys! BUT THAT IS ONLY IF I GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU PEOPLE! Review and put a smile on my face.**

**I am going to delete She Don't Want the World. Sorry but I really don't think it is very different from the other stories on here. Yet, I think we all agree Beat Up By A Girl is one of a kind, huh? Sorry again but I want to finish this and write a Twilight one-shot, Blue Bloods one-shot, and a House of Night one-shot. Review about how you guys would like that. I want to get off HSM and write something a little different, but don't worry there will always be HSM stuff coming out of my head!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey, Guys! Here is your chapter! Thanks for all the reviews, but let's see if you guys can send out even more this chapter! And check out my Twilight story, **_**Cure for the Ache**_**.**

--

--

**Chapter 15**

"Once I tell you this, do you promise not to get mad?" Chad asked, preparing her for what was to come.

"Uh, I'll try?" Gabriella had a questioning tone in her voice that suddenly made Chad a little worried. Well, more worried than he already was.

"Okay, you know I don't like the idea of you being with Troy…" Chad started then looked at Gabriella's face. She was keeping her eyes on the road with her knuckles practically turning white on because of her harsh grip on the steering wheel.

"Remember; you said you would not get mad…" Chad tried to help himself out a little bit. Gabriella wasn't in his shoes and hadn't lived his life, so she had no clue how hard this was for him. Not only did he have to force these disgusting words out of his mouth, but he had to put some truth behind them.

"Continuing, I really don't like the idea of you being with Troy, but I can't be mad at you anymore. I have to be your brother—" Chad was cut off by Gabriella.

"And that includes the big brother role of annoying the crap out of me and snooping in my business…" Gabriella meant for her words to be somewhat offense and sharp, but they came out playful and teasing. A grin worked its way onto both of their faces. Gabriella's knuckles were starting to get some color back in them.

"As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," Chad shot a smile at Gabriella, "I can't control everything you do so I guess I should just be supportive." The happy face on Gabriella brightened even more. She was getting her brother back and his seal of approval.

"I am just warning you now, before you get too wrapped up in Troy, make sure you know about him. He is one of those people who have an untold story and it is like you see in all those movies—the story is better left untold." Chad finished.

"Do you know his story?" Gabriella asked. Chad sure seemed to know a heck of a lot about Troy for being his worst enemies.

"No. No one does except Coach Bolton knows." Chad ran his hand through his hair, "Coach Bolton is Troy's dad and you would not even know. They don't act like it at all. And that just confuses people more. He really is a mystery."

"Tell me about it…" Gabriella mumbled. She wanted to know more and more about Troy every time she saw him, but she was always left with more questions than answers.

Gabriella pulled into the drive way and with a glace at Chad who wasn't all mad and depressed looking anymore, crawled out of the car. "I'm so glad we cleared this up." Gabriella said as Chad threw an arm around her shoulders as they walked up the sidewalk.

"I know! I was missing nagging you about wanting to drive your car!" Chad laughed, his ringlets bouncing on his head.

Gabriella sighed. "You will _never _drive my car." Gabriella cleared. Would Chad ever understand?

"Oh yes I will. One day." Chad took his arm back and opened the door, walking inside and up the stairs, muttering to himself the entire way.

Guess that's a no; he will never understand.

--

--

Gabriella sat on her bed, her stomach against the sheets. Her calculus book was open in front of her, but her eyes weren't focused. She had finished her homework an hour ago, she was just re-checking it. Her mind was somewhere else; somewhere far away where the only thing that mattered was a handsome blue-eyed boy that was becoming a topic of his own.

Getting up, Gabriella put her book back in her backpack beside her school ID. Gabriella walked over to her balcony doors and was about to open them when she remembered how chilly it would be outside. She was in her normal night wear, tank top (purple this time) and Soffe shorts (grey this time). She picked the white fleece blanket off of the foot of her bed and wrapped it around her. It only fell to about three inches below her knees because of it's size, but she wouldn't be standing out there too long.

After opening her balcony doors, she leaned against the white railing. Troy's bedroom light was on, but she couldn't see anyone walking around. Feeling like a stalker, she moved her gaze. Instead of turning into a stalker, she looked into the leaves of the oak tree.

She started humming to herself quietly, daydreaming about Troy Bolton until she had too many goose bumps to stay outside any longer.

--

--

Gabriella and Chad arrived at school just like they did before the entire Troy ordeal happened. They had made up and Chad wasn't so hostile. At least for now.

Gabriella threw her books into her locker and pawed around for her History book. Growling in frustration after having no avail, she slammed it shut. Gabriella swung her shoulder over so her bag was forced into her stomach. She opened it and checked to see what books she had in there. She was normally so organized, but when Chad was ignoring her, she hadn't a care where things went. Chad or Troy was always preoccupying her mind.

Finally recovering her book, she made a little 'Aha!' noise which caused a deep chuckle to come from behind her. Gabriella turned around swiftly to find her eyes instantly connecting with bright blue ones.

"Do you believe that you are even cuter when you are frustrated?" Troy said, shocking himself. That thought was meant to stay in his head. He really needed to bang his head against the lockers that were connecting with his back. Why was he getting so wrapped up in this girl? This is just a game!

Gabriella blushed a deep shade of scarlet before thinking of one of her patented smart remarks. "Only as long as you are not the one I'm frustrated with."

Troy laughed. He walked up behind Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Gabriella leaned her head back so she was looking up at him with her scalp resting against his muscle. "I hope that doesn't end up the case." Troy smiled crookedly.

"Yeah. I've already beaten you up once," Gabriella brought her hand up to caress his cheek that was on the right side of his body while she was resting on his left shoulder, "We wouldn't want to make that twice, now, would we?"

With that, Gabriella pulled out of the handsome man's warm embrace and walked down the hall towards her next class, swaying her hips the entire way. Troy propped himself up against the lockers with one hand and crossed his ankles, watching her retreating figure. "Watch it, Montez! You might end up getting more than you bargained for!" he yelled after her.

_You don't know how right you are, _Gabriella thought.

--

--

Chad was suddenly regretting the deal he had made with his sister. He watched from his locker further down the hall and saw the interaction between Gabriella and Troy. He noticed their closeness, their disregard for being on school grounds, and their—he hated to say it—connection.

He stormed to his next class, not even flinching when he heard the tardy bell ring. He watched her with his rival. It wasn't like he didn't like him for any reason. Chad had a great reason to hate the blue eyed boy in his book. After what he did, it was a blessing that Chad could even be in the same room, nonetheless the same school.

Troy was someone who got close to you then ditched you in your time of need. Chad knew this for a fact, for he had experience. Chad wanted to warn Gabriella so bad. He had to make sure that Troy didn't hurt her a fraction of the way he hurt Chad. He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Chad waved the teacher off as she scolded him for being late. He was just worrying about Gabriella. They bad finally gotten back to normal, he didn't want things to be hostile between them all over again, but he had to tell her. And he would. Tonight. Before she went to homecoming with him.

Before he hurt her.

**A/N: I haven't changed direction! Remember; Chad doesn't know that Troy wants to take her somewhere else instead of the dance. Review guys!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey, Guys! I'm sorry I didn't get this out on the fifth. But, I had it written before then, but got grounded from the computer…. Sorry. So this is here a little late, but here all the same. It is really hard to write with a deadline. You end up rushing and then the chapter isn't as good as it could be…. So I don't know how I'll be able to keep uploading on certain days, but I really need to finish this story. Anyway, go ahead and read! Review, too!**

**--**

**--**

Gabriella waited in the front seat of her car for Chad to exit the school. _Come on! _She chanted for Chad to hurry up. Troy had left school early that day, claiming he had a dentist appointment. His crooked smile told her otherwise. Gabriella had no doubt in her mind that he was lying.

But at the edges of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder what he was really up to. Okay, that was a lie. It was not the _edges _of her mind. It had been bugging her all day. She was so consumed that she didn't catch the looks Chad had been giving her all day nor to notice his quiet behavior.

And just to make things worse, tonight was the night that Troy Bolton was going to pick her up to go one a surprise date. Something she knew would be special. Troy had something in his mind that was going to be even better than going to Homecoming. Gabriella had made up different fantasies all day about what could be on the agenda. Needless to say, none had been rated G.

Gabriella was snapped out of her thoughts and brought back to earth when a hand was waved in front of her face. "Come on Gabriella! Earth to Gabriella!" Kelsi laughed at her.

"Oh. Hey! Sorry. I was in my own world there for a while." Gabriella added a sheepish smile to her apology.

"Obviously." Kelsi snorted.

"Yeah, yeah. And obviously you didn't come over here just to torment me. At least I hope you didn't…" Gabriella added that last part with a grin.

Kelsi thwacked Gabriella over the head, much like Taylor usually did to Chad but much softer, of course. "That's just what you think…," Kelsi shot right back, "Anyway, I was just going to relay a message to you!"

"And…" Gabriella pressed.

"The guys have basketball practice today so Chad doesn't need a ride, but no worries! You don't have to drive home alone because I need a ride!" Kelsi grin and ran over to the passenger side of Gabriella's car before she even answered.

Gabriella shook her head softly, but fired up her convertible. "Let's get going then."

"Excellent. And Gabborino?" Kelsi looked over at Gabriella as they pulled out of the school parking lot.

"Yeah, Kels?"

"What is it that you haven't told me yet?" Kelsi said with a mischievous look on her face.

Gabriella noticed how Kelsi added the 'yet' to her previous question, implying that Gabriella was going to tell her. "What are you talking about?" Gabriella decided to play innocent.

"You have had this dreamy look on your face all day! And I know that it has something to do with Troy so don't even think about lying, Missy!" Kelsi said before whispering to herself, "Wow. I have been hanging around Sharpay too much lately…"

"Well, Troy kinda…. Um, He kinda asked me on a date tonight…" Gabriella confessed, suddenly shy. Gabriella kept her eyes on the road, too afraid to even gauge Kelsi's reaction to the news.

A girlish squeal rang through the cab of the red car.

"Oh my goodness!!!" Kelsi said awfully loud, "Never mind about taking me to my house! We are going to yours and I have to call Sharpay!"

"Seriously, Kels?" Gabriella whined.

"Yes! We have to help you get ready for this! If he is doing whatever he is going to do instead of taking you to Homecoming, You are so going to want the Drama Queen's help!" Kelsi reasoned.

"I guess…," Gabriella caved.

"Yes!" Kelsi cheered, And Chad won't be home to have to usher out of the way! This is going to be so much fun, Gabborino!" Kelsi was obviously very excited for her best friend.

Gabriella drove to her house as Kelsi talked to Sharpay over the phone. Well, more like squealed out the news. When she pulled in the drive and they walked into the house, Kelsi hung up to greet Gabriella's parents.

"Hey, Mom." Gabriella introduced Kelsi to her parents and (after smiling to herself about how easily she called Daniel her father) they skipped up the stairs two at a time.

Sharpay burst through the door a short while later (a really short while later, she must have been going well over the speed limit, Gabriella thought). Gabriella was the guinea pig as they went over possible outfits.

Mrs. Danforth-Montez walked up the stairs and stood in the open door way of her daughter's room. Watching as Gabriella turned for her friends and they complimented how she looked. Her daughter was finally breaking out, having fun, and letting herself have fun. "So, who's the lucky boy that is taking you on a date tonight?" Maria made her presence known.

"Troy Bolton!" Sharpay and Kelsi gushed at the same time, causing Gabriella to blush.

"Yeah, what they said." Gabriella mumbled.

"You look great, Ella." Maria complimented her daughter.

"Thanks mom. I won't be out past ten." Gabriella said, knowing that her curfew was ten o'clock before she had moved to Albuquerque. Gabriella had guess that her mom had come to remind her not to come home too late.

"Ella, that's not what I came up here about, but speaking of curfews…," Maria smiled at her daughter before continuing, "I know that tonight is Homecoming and that you and this Troy Bolton are doing your own thing instead. Chad is going with Taylor and your father and I extended his curfew until one since the dance ends thirty minutes after midnight. So the same goes for you. But if you are even one minute late, young lady, don't expect me to be this lenient ever again. Get it?"

"Got it." Gabriella replied.

"Good." Maria winked at the trio of girls before walking back down stairs.

"Your mom is so cool." Kelsi said quietly, causing all three girls to laugh before attacking Gabriella with make up.

--

--

"There we go!" Sharpay swung her arms out dramatically to flaunt her work of art.

Gabriella fought back a gasp when she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked awesome. Her legs were in a pair of simple dark wash boot cut jeans, her ever-present black flat adorned her feet, a white tank top clung to her curves, and a burgundy deep v-neck sweater was over it. A simple washed-out silver heart necklace hung around her neck and her hair was in loose spiral curls cascading down her back. Her make up was light and just highlighted what she already had.

"Sharpay, you are meant to be a fashion designer and a cosmetologist and a make up artist person!" Gabriella exclaimed and hugged the blonde. "You rock."

"I know!" Sharpay teased, "And I don't want to be any of those things," Gabriella and Kelsi cocked their heads sideways at her in disbelief, "I want to be a rocket scientist!"

Gabriella and Kelsi both started to laugh. "Girl, you have to be brilliant to be one of those!" Kelsi teased.

"I know!" Sharpay was silent for a minute, "HEY! That was so not nice!"

Gabriella and Kelsi just laughed so hard to the point that they were clutching their stomachs. "You know, if I wasn't kidding, I would be so mad at you guys right now!" Sharpay yelled before succumbing to the laughter, too.

--

--

Gabriella waited on the foot of her bed impatiently. Her phone was clutched in her hands in her lap, screen up. The computer was on IM and she was waiting for Troy to tell her he was outside. This was one of the most nerve-wrecking moments Gabriella had had in her lifetime.

Sharpay and Kelsi had left just prior to go get ready for Homecoming and they had both promised her that she would have to be prepared for and early morning phone call—they wanted to know all the details of what happened between her and Troy.

Her computer and her phone dinged almost simultaneously. Both messages said: "Count to thirty then come outside. I'm walking out my door now."

Gabriella's hart was beating faster than a race horses hooves. This was it. She was going to go on a date with Troy Bolton. Getting up and walking down the stairs proved a hard task. She wanted to sprint the entire way. Right as she was at the door, so was he. The shy knock rattled against the wood. Gabriella opened the door so quick that his hand was still in a fist. Who cares about that whole 'don't appear too eager' crap.

"Well, at least someone's glad to see me." Troy said in his smooth voice before producing a single yellow chrysanthemum from behind his back. Gabriella blushed and took the flower.

"Of course I am." Gabriella stepped forward as he stepped back to close the door. They walked to his car with their shoulders and arms just barely touching as they moved. Gabriella had the sudden want to hold his hand, but pushed the thought away.

As he opened the door for her, Gabriella spoke, "So where are you taking me to?"

"It's a surprise," Troy teased as he hopped in and drove into the street.

**A/N: And that's a wrap!!! Review Please!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

As he opened the door for her, Gabriella spoke, "So where are you taking me to?"

"It's a surprise," Troy teased as he hopped in and drove into the street.

"You know, I don't like this surprise thing…" Gabriella grumbled.

"Don't joke. I know that the only reason you are pouting right now is because we aren't in a dark, secluded area of a park at 11:30 at night." Troy responded with a smirk.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. She remained quiet in an effort to get Troy to tell her to get her to speak up again. Needless to say, her plan didn't work. The most of a reaction that she got out of him was him looking her way before shaking his head and chuckling to himself.

Troy careened around a corner and left the neighborhood district. Troy's sleek black car felt like they were driving over cattle guards when they were on the dirt roads. "Troy?" Gabriella asked hesitantly.

"Don't even. We're almost there." Troy said as they found another paved road. Troy continued driving for a while until Gabriella spotted a gas station. Troy pulled in and parked by the door. "Here we are." Troy said, catching Gabriella's look of puzzlement.

"I thought a first date was supposed to impress a girl?" Gabriella joked as she got out of his car. "Not scare her away."

"You'll be changing your mind about that." Troy opened the door for her an lead her to a booth in the back. It was one of those truck stop gas stations with the pumps, energy drinks, and a little café place inside. The places was called "It's 8 o'clock Somewhere." The first thing Gabriella saw on the menu was pancakes. And more breakfast foods. Actually, there were only breakfast foods.

"Breakfast?" Gabriella questioned Troy.

"Pancakes are not just a breakfast food; they are food to the soul." Troy laughed and pointed to the front of the menu witch had his line written in green across the top. "I love pancakes, and this place has personality. Just have a sense of adventure."

The waitress that came by knew Troy by name and knew exactly was Troy meant when he ordered 'the usual'. Gabriella said she was going to copy Troy. "You might not want to do that." The waitress said.

"I eat a lot." Troy said sheepishly.

"We'll see about that." Gabriella responded. The waitress went away. "So I guess you come here often?" Gabriella asked the blue-eyed boy across from her.

"That would be an understatement." Troy answered. "I have been coming here as long as I can remember." Troy had that look in his eyes. That look when it was like their eyes glazed over and they were transported to another time. A happier time.

"Oh, did your dad bring you here a lot?" Gabriella asked. She had noticed that Troy didn't talk about his dad very often.

The look vanished from Troy's eyes. "No." Troy had no emotion in his voice.

The awkwardness that Gabriella began to feel was interrupted by the waitress bring a mother load of food. There were three plates in front of Gabriella. A plate with three huge pancakes with peanut butter smothered between the layers, another with eggs, bacon, ham, and sausage, and a third plate with an omelet which seemed to be giving birth to all kinds of berries.

Troy smiled when he saw the look on Gabriella's face. "I bet you can't eat all of that." Troy challenged.

"What do I get if I do?" Gabriella prodded. She was going to have fun with this. She didn't want another awkward moment.

"A question."

"A question? Like I can ask you anything I want?" Gabriella asked with a smile.

"Yes. And I have to answer it one hundred percent truthfully." Troy agreed.

"You're on." Gabriella grabbed a fork and smiled.

"Same goes for me if you lose." Troy countered.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Gabriella smirked. This was going to be fun.

Gabriella felt like she was going to explode. There was a pancake left and a fourth of the omelet left. "Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" Gabriella cried. "I give up! You win!"

"Wait, can you say that one more time?" Troy asked turning his head towards Gabriella and putting his fingers behind his ear. Troy was met with a pair of chocolate eyes glaring at him.

As they left, Troy got a wink from the waitress and the cook feigned that he was going to throw his spatula at him.

"Well, that was fun!" Troy acted like a five year old as she slid into his car. Gabriella made a show of making sure the seatbelt would still go all the way across her. Troy chuckled.

"Now, what kind of question do I have to answer?" Gabriella caved. He could ask anything. That was a rather frightening thought.

"Anything I want you to, my pretty." Troy smirked. Gabriella rolled her eyes. "You will have to wait and face your doom, but you will surely face it by the end of the night." Troy cackled.

Gabriella busted out laughing. When she noticed the look on Troy's face, she stopped. It was as if he had seen a ghost. "What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.

"Nothing at all." Troy said sincerely. "I am just constantly amazed at how you make me feel." Troy replied.

There it was again. Feel. That word was like a beacon. Gabriella leaned over the center console to kiss Troy on the cheek. After she gave him a kiss on the cheek Troy turned his head to face her. "Ahem," he said as he pointed to his lips.

Gabriella kissed him on the lips lightly. They both had grins that stretched from ear to ear. The waitress flipped the sign on the door to closed and sent Troy a wink.

"You really know the waitress that well?" Gabriella asked Troy as they backed out of the parking lot and headed back the way they came.

"She has worked there forever. She was my mom's best friend. They owned this gas station together." Troy smiled to himself.

This was the first time that Troy had ever mentioned his mother to Gabriella. She didn't want to pry for the risk of upsetting him. He had a smile on his face that was contagious and that Gabriella couldn't have bared to see disappear.

"So now what?" Gabriella asked Troy. "Or are you going to be all 'It's a surprise' again?" Gabriella tried to mock his voice but failed horribly.

"You'll have to wait and see…" Troy crooned.

"I am so glad that it isn't a surprise!" Gabriella said with mock excitement. Troy couldn't hide his grin.

Chad couldn't enjoy the dance. Taylor looked amazing, all the other people were having fun, but he was worried about Gabriella. Sharpay and Kelsi had been like a shield around her all day after school. He didn't get the chance to warn Gabriella. Like she would have listened. Gabriella could take care of herself. Sadly, that didn't make Chad worry any less.

Kelsi came and sat beside Chad. "Don't worry so much." Kelsi tried to reassure him.

"Like that will happen," Was all Chad replied.

"She's gonna be alright. Gabriella is a very strong girl and believe it or not, Troy is not all that bad. Nobody can be all that bad." Kelsi tried to reason with Chad. She hated to see Chad worry so much. Since Taylor and Kelsi had been best friends for years, she had known Chad for a really long time. Long enough to know how much Troy and Chad had been through. Long enough to hate seeing Chad so helpless.

"Would it be really bad if I said that I agreed with you?" Chad asked with a serene face.

"No, because I know that you're finally telling the truth." Kelsi smiled at Chad. "You need to be happy and you need to let Gabriella be happy. You will always be there for her and she knows that. She just wants something that you think is bad for her. And heck, maybe it is."

"And maybe I'm wrong." Chad thought out loud. He trusted Kelsi not to tell anyone about their conversation. Everyone else was dancing and having a good time when he and Kelsi were almost in their own little bubble. "Maybe he can change."

"Anyone can change. Sadly, it isn't always for the better." Kelsi said. "Chad, you are a great brother to Gabriella and Troy wont hurt her. I know that."

"How do you know that and I don't?" Chad asked.

"Because I'm not still blinded by hurt." Kelsi said truthfully. "I think it's time that you came to terms with some things. For Gabriella's sake."

"I know. And I'll try, but I don't know if I can make any promises." Chad lifted his eyes from the floor to look at Kelsi. He smiled before seeing that Taylor was walking up to him. He was going to tell Tay how he truly felt about her. He had to be honest with someone.

Love could do funny things to people.

Including Troy.

**AN:/ I really hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. Fell free to give ideas. I love reviews!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Troy pulled his car into an open lot. When Gabriella stepped out, she noticed the asphalt was cracked and broken. This place looked almost totally deserted. Gabriella raised her eyebrows to Troy. "Just wait and see…" Troy promised.

"You know, I am really beginning to think that you just like to see me suffer." Gabriella joked.

"Never!" Troy said as innocent as possible. "I just love the pouty five year old look on your face right now!"

"What?" Gabriella scoffed. "I do not act like a five year old!"

"Hmm… That just sounded awful childish to me!" Troy sent her a smile that showed that he was just kidding.

"Well, then I guess I'm too young to go out on dates with 'dangerous' guys!" Gabriella put air quotes around the word dangerous.

"I never said I was 'dangerous'!" Troy copied her air quotes.

Gabriella chuckled. Troy reached out to grab her hand. Gabriella looked down at her hand. Her hand was dwarfed by his, yet somehow, it looked like they fit.

Troy led her over to the edge of the pavement. A guardrail enclosed the pavement but was only about two feet high. Troy stepped over it without letting go of Gabriella's hand. "Isn't this guardrail here for a reason?" Gabriella asked suspiciously.

"Of course!" Troy said. "Its to keep all the other people away from the good spot!"

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"Look," Troy pointed ahead of them. There was a small wooden bench that had looked like it had been there forever. Troy led her over to sit on it. Gabriella was shocked. It was beautiful. The ground sloped suddenly, making what seemed like a tear in the earth. The ground was sandstone with layers of all the years that it had beared witness to. Bushes and brush were scatted along the descent to the rushing water below.

"How did you know about this place?" Gabriella asked Troy. It was utterly breathtaking. The moonlight glinted off of the river through the canyon and Gabriella didn't want to look away.

"My mom used to bring me here all the time. It was our escape." Troy was also watching the river.

Gabriella wanted to know what Troy had needed to escape from, but she didn't want to ruin this moment or to pry an answer out of him. He looked content.

Troy had a light smile playing across his features as he turned to look at Gabriella. Now, there was a sight she never wanted to look away from. His eyes were the same blue that had come to be her favorite hue of the color. The moonlight danced across his skin. His smile was contagious. Gabriella couldn't help but match his smile.

"You know that you are beautiful?" Gabriella said without meaning to.

"Me?" Troy was still smiling. That was a good sign. At least he wasn't totally creeped out by Gabriella's observation. "You're the one that is taking my breath away."

Gabriella giggled. "You better be glad that I like cheesy," Gabriella said against his lips before she blanketed them with hers. Their kiss was soft, sweet, and slow.

When they broke apart, neither could remove their eyes from the other. "You know, this was way better than a silly homecoming dance." Gabriella said with a smile

"Tell me about it." Troy said before inching forward for another kiss.

"So you come here often, too?" Gabriella asked.

"Not as often as I used to, but I do come here when I need to think or clear my head." Troy answered.

"It's a peaceful place. I can see why you and your mom would come here as an escape." Gabriella was curious about his mother. She had only heard him say a few things about her, but he always had a smile on his face when he did. That was the opposite of his reaction towards talking about his dad.

"My mom was a strong woman, but even the strongest people need an escape from reality sometimes." Troy said this so quietly that Gabriella almost didn't hear. They were both silent for a while. Gabriella was trying to think of something to say when Troy spoke up again.

"My mom and I were very close. We did everything together. I know that she would never admit it, but I think that she wanted a daughter, but got a son instead. She always told me that I was exactly what she wanted. We were inseparable. My mom was one of those girls that didn't want to be an aerospace engineer, model, or police officer. She just wanted to be a mom." Troy spoke with a note to his voice. It was like a kindergartener's before they find out that there are bad things in the world.

"What happened?" Gabriella asked slowly. Troy was talking of his mother in past tense.

Troy was silent for a while. Gabriella didn't try to push him any further. "I thought I was the one that won the question?" Troy asked with a smirk.

Gabriella smiled. She still was against pushing him. "Yep. I have no idea how you can eat that much food!"

"Its called being a teenage guy," Troy chuckled. "So what time do you have to be home?"

"My curfew is at one." Gabriella answered.

"Alright."

"Do you want to play 20 questions?" Gabriella asked.

"Sure. I go first. What's your favorite color?" Troy smiled when Gabriella shot him a questioning look. "What? Someone's favorite color is a valuable thing!"

"Purple. But deep purples, not lilac." Gabriella specified. They continued to ask some easy questions until it was Troy's turn.

"Do you like that your mom got remarried?" Troy asked seriously.

"Yes. Chad's dad is great for her. See, my dad passed away because of cancer. It hurt my mom and I a lot. When my mom met Chad's dad, Daniel, my mom finally started to heal. It made me happy to see her happy. Chad and I got along, I like Daniel, Daniel proposed, everything just kind of fell into place. At that time in my mom life, nothing just worked out, everything always had a catch. For once, we didn't worry about a catch. We fell in love with the feeling." Gabriella recited.

"That's a neat story. I'm glad that your mom found happiness again." Troy said.

"Me, too. So it's my turn now. What's your biggest fear?" Gabriella asked.

"Honestly?" Troy asked. He had a wary look on his face.

"If you'll tell me," Gabriella coaxed.

"Having someone know everything about me," Troy answered truthfully. Gabriella was shocked. Since she didn't respond, Troy elaborated. "I have never been one of those people to have the same best friend or girlfriend for years, so I don't have that one person that knows me better than I know myself. My mom used to be that person, my dad… he will never be that person. And everyone else thinks I'm going to end up in jail. So my biggest fear is also the thing I want most if that makes any sense. Its like I want it so bad that when it might actually happen, they won't like me anymore because they find out too much about me." Gabriella knew that Troy was being honest. She could see it in his face and hear it in his voice.

Gabriella wanted to tell him that she could be that person that he was waiting for. She couldn't. She had just wanted to get his secret out of him. Now she was too deep in this. She thought Troy had been emotionless. But no one could be emotionless.

Not even Troy.

She had to get out before she got in even deeper.

But she didn't want to hurt him.

"Troy, I'm going to be late if we don't leave now…" Gabriella mentioned and stood up.

It was like Troy was sucked back into his normal reverie. He got up and led the way back to his car without a word. Gabriella wasn't worthy of knowing so much about him when she kept her own secret. Gabriella looked at her feet as she walked.

They were silent for most of the ride back to Gabriella's house. Troy pulled into his driveway to just walk to Gabriella's. Troy had held Gabriella's hand as he drove. Gabriella watched him constantly. He was so handsome. Troy got out and opened Gabriella's door for her.

"I'll walk you to your door." Troy said like a gentleman.

They stopped on Gabriella's porch. "Gabriella, I am so glad that you spent time with me tonight." Troy said. "Hopefully, we can—" Gabriella cut Troy off.

"Troy, I need to tell you something." Gabriella said in a rush. She wanted Troy to know before things got worse. Troy nodded. "I really like you, even though you're about as complicated as a thousand piece puzzle." Troy smiled. "At first, I had just wanted to… find out your secret." Troy's face hardened. "But, now I just want to get to know you because I really loved tonight and I want to do it again." Gabriella was nervous of what he would think.

Troy still had a hardened look on his face. He looked like a stone sculpture. Gabriella tensed. "Troy…"

Troy didn't answer. He simply turned around and walked back to his own house.

Gabriella sighed and walked into her house. Her mother smiled at her. Gabriella couldn't return the smile. She plopped on her bed face down. "How am I going to fix this…?" Gabriella mumbled to herself.


End file.
